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REFLECTIONS 



wokks of god 



IN 



NATURE AND PROVIDENCE, 



FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR. 



BY CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIAN STURM. 



TRANSLATED BY 



ADAM CLARKE, LL. D., F. A, S., M. R. I. A. 



FROM A. 1.ATE LOND0?r REVISED ASD CORRECTED EDITION, 



'^0*^^^***' 



NEW-YORK, 

PUBLISHED BY B. WAUGH AND T. MASON, 

FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE CONFERENCE OFFICE, 
200 ^lULCERRV-STREET, 

J Collonl, Printer. 



3^ 






The publishers of the present edition of Dr. Clarke's trans- 
lation of Sturm's Reflections, ofier no other apology for again 
presenting it to the pubUc, than that it has been out of print 
several years, while the demand has been constant. They 
have spared no expense to secure a superior style of correct- 
ness and beauty in its typographical execution, and they trust 
that its attractions will be increased by the addition of six 
elegant engravmgs on copper and steel. 

Other translations are in the market. — By a reference to the 
Translator's Preface in this edition, it will be seen in what 
respects they are deficient. 



^-■L .ids. .and-ijis, 



s. 



THB 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE 



TO 



THE THIRD GERMAN EDITION 



More than a hundred years have elapsed since the pious Scriver 
published a work entitled, Occasional Meditations on the Works oj 
Nature and Art. I make no scruple to declare, that I value this work 
highly, and prefer it to a multitude of modern books of devotion, w^hich 
are equally destitute of taste and accuracy. It is true, that in some 
respects, the form and style of Scriver's work are unsuitable to the 
refined taste of the present age ; yet it has a number of advantages 
well calculated to compensate the reader for any faults he may find in 
it. The author's zeal for practical religion, his manly sense, his 
comprehensive knowledge of the W'orks of nature and art, and the 
pains he took to adapt his language to the apprehension of illiterate 
people, are advantages which are rarely found in any book of devotion, 
either of the past or present century. 

It w^as the esteem I always had for Scriver's w^ork u^hich first in- 
spu'ed me with the desire to compose one similar to it. I had a two- 
fold design in writing Meditations on the Works of God in the King^ 
dom of Nature and Providence : 1. That those who had little time for 
study, might find a treatise, pointing out w^hatever Vv^as m.ost essential 
to be known, relative to the objects which God daily presents to us m 



IV THE author's PREFACE. 

tne widely extended empire of nature. For this purpose, I have 
chosen out of the vast mass of natural history the objects which daily 
surround us, the hisiurical knowledge of which requires no extraor- 
dinary depth of capacity. I havt e>ndeavoured so to express myseif, 
and to represent my subjects in such a maiviaer as should at once ren- 
der my work intelligible and interesting to all oicders of Christians, 
the most enlightened not excepted. In endeavouring vq accomplish 
this end, I proposed a second, viz : To show the reader how he may 
derive lessons of wisdom and virtue from the contemplation of nai-aral 
things.^ 

In order successfully to accomplish these designs, I found it neces- 
sary to avail myself of all helps which the v/orks of naturalists could 
afford me ; I have, therefore, made no scruple to borrow from Buffon, 
Derham, Pluche, Niewentyt, Sulzer, Bonnet, and other writers of this 
class, whatever was expressed with most precision and energy, and 
whatever was best calculated to give my readers the most correct ideas 
on the subject. I feel a pleasure in embracing this opportunity to 
acknowledge the assistance I have received from the rector, Mr. Lo- 
renz, who not only composed some of the Meditations, but whose ex- 
tensive knowledge in natural history has enabled him to furnish me 
Vvrith information, v/hich I have endeavoured to detail for the edifica- 
tion of my readers. 

In this nevv^ edition I have made many corrections and improve- 
ments, which I hope will give it a new advantage over that spurious 
work VN^hich has been published in three different places by certain 
rapacious booksellers. 

I would gladly have availed myself of the improvements which the 
Sicedish translator has made in my work, had I sufficient knowledge 
of that language. 

STURM. 

Hamburg, 

July 24, 1784. 

• In the advertisement to the first German edition, the author explains the motives 
•which induced him to give his work the form of Meditations for every day in the year ; — 
Tlie motives were, 1. To provide a sufficient variety. And, 2. That the reader might be 
led to sanctify each day by contemplating the worl?:s of GodL 



THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. V 

Note, — In the preface to the second German edition, the author 
says, " I have made no considerable alteration in this new ediiion ; I 
have only retrenched the hymiu which arc found in the first edition, 
and substituted pieces written iii prose. This plan appeared to me 
the most proper, especially as I had lately published a Collection of 
Hymns on the W^rks of God in the Empire of Nature J*'^ 

* In order to unite the advantages of both editions, not only the substituted pieces are 
carefuiiy translated In tliis, but the hymns also which were in the first, are here given in 
prose. Tlie poetic pieces in the last German edition, printed at Halle, 1785, are also trans- 
lated into prose, and distinguished at the end of each meditation, or wherever else thev 
occur, by inverted commas. 



THE TRANSLATOR'S PRBFACE. 



These Reflections have been presented twice already to the public 
in an Eng-lish dress, by different hands. One of these publications 
professes to be only what it is, — An Abridgement, in one volume, 
12mo. containing about one half of the original vv'ork. The other, in 
three volumes, professes to be the whole work, yet omits seventeen 
whole pieces which were in the first German edition, and in the 
French translation, from which these volumes were taken. But, be- 
sides this, it omits a part in most of the Meditations, and in some 
cases a third of each. To the truly Christian reader, these omissions 
will appear of serious consequence, when he is informed that they 
contain those parts which chiefly relate to experimental religion. 
Besides the above, there are other papers left out, and something oi 
the translator's collecting substituted : and all this is done without 
ever mentioning the unwarrantable liberty thus taken. 

A desire that the lohole work of the pious author should appear, 
from a conviction that it was well calculated to difl'use useful know- 
ledge among the people at large, induced the translator to undertake 
the task of giving a new version to the public. Judging that the 
stream must be purest at the fountain head, he endeavoured to pro- 
cure, but in vain, \he first German edition, as in that only the hymns 
are found, which the author having published by themselves, left out 
in the two subsequent editions. Finding that the French translator 
had retained those, and perceiving from collating it with the tltird 
German edition, that it was a very correct and faithful version of the 
original text, the present translator had no doubt but the devotional 
pieces taken from the first German editionj^ which he could not pro- 
cure, were as faithfully translated as the rest of the work, he chose it 
therefore for the foundation of his own; reserving to himself the li- 



THE TRANSLATOR S PREFACE. V]l 

berty of collating every Meditation with the text of the third German 
edition, printed at Halle, in 1784. 

In the preface to the above edition, it is intimated, that many im- 
provements and additioois have been made in the work : but the reader 
will find it still sadly defective. As the translator discovered many 
inaccuracies In the astronomical papers, and in those on natural his- 
tory he was in hopes of finding them rectified in this last edition : but 
he was disappointed. The planet Herschel, or Georgium Sidics, is not 
mentioned, though discovered March 13, 1781. Saturn has still only 
Jive satellites : the distances and periodical revolutions of the planets 
are not corrected according to late and accurate observations. Platina 
is still ranked among the imperfect metals ; and the increased cata- 
logue of these last, well known to all the German and French chem- 
ists, is not once noticed. These were serious defects which the 
translator thought himself obliged to supply in the best possible man- 
ner. Besides the above, many other inaccuracies are corrected, and 
it is hoped that the work, in consequence, will be considered more 
worthy the attention and approbation of the public than it has hitherto 
been. 

Fidelity in the translation has been scrupulously studied; and this 
probably has produced too great a stiffness in some parts : but the 
translator indulges the hope, that, in general, the style wiU be found 
easy and perspicuous ; and that the work carries no extra load of 
error or imperfection. 

Lest any should be disappointed in reading this work, by expecting 
more from it than it promises, let the following directions be attended 
to. 1. None should expect to find here his peculiar religious creed : 
the translator did not every where meet with his own, and yet he was 
determined to permit the author to address Englishmen in the same 
way in which he instructed those of his own country. 2. Let none 
hastily conclude, from reading one of the Meditations, that the subject 
is superficially treated ; because it often happens that the same sub- 
ject is resumed in other places, and considered in different points of 
view. 3. Let it be observed, that the work does not profess to be a 
complete system of natural philosophy : it is only Reflections on the 
Works of God, tending to diffuse useful knowledge, and to assist the 
spirit of devotion in those who wish to acknowledge God in all his 
ways. 



viii THE translator's preface. 

The great and laudable design of the pious author is, to make God 
knoAvn by his works, to hide pride from man, by pointing out the 
limited state of human knowledge ; and to evince the necessity of a 
Divine Revelation, and the Saviour it presents to sinners. 

Those who are employed in agricultural matters, from the most 
scientific /arwzer to the meanest ploughhoy, may derive knowledge in 
nature, and instruction in righteousness, from this work : a work in 
which sound philosophy and pure practical piety go hand in hand, 
and lead the serious reader through the beauteous paths of nature into 
the paradise of God. 

However defective the work may appear in systematic arrangement 
yet most subjects of importance, in astronomy and natural history, are 
here exhibited in plain, yet appropriate language ; so that a person of 
common capacity may acquire a competent knowledge of the most 
remarkable productions of the earth, and the most striking phenome- 
na of the heavenly bodies, v/hich are all introduced here, to speak the 
perfections of their Creator, and to invite men to reverence, love, and 
obey liiM. 

The work contains a distinct subject for every day in the year; the 
subjects themselves being adapted to the particular season:^ ; by which 
the reader is brought to a philosophic acquaintance with the various 
productions of the earth, in the order and ii7?2e in which they occur. 
By this division, the work is excellently adapted to the use of families 
and individuals who have but little time for reading or study. On 
this account, the translator presumes it will be found very profitable 
to read the Reflections for the day, regularly, with a portion of the 
Sacred Writings ; this cannot fail greatly to increase useful know- 
ledge, both divine and natural, in every family v/here this mode of 
reading is attended to. 

The translator particularly recommends it to all who fear God, and 
who d.esire to know and adore his perfections, as represented in the 
book of Divine Revelation, and demonstrated in the volume of Nature, 
here unfolded by the pious and masterly hand of this German Divine. 

ADAM CLARKE. 



ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



In a short time after the publication of the first edition of this trans- 
lation, the whole impression (by no means a small one) was sold off. 
The increasing demand for the work proved that it had received a 
large portion of the public approbation : in consequence of which the 
translator was encouraged to revise and correct the whole, and com- 
mit it a second time to the press. With much gratitude to the Foun- 
tain of wisdom and goodness, he rejoices in being able to state, that 
the work has been the means of diffusing correct notions of God and 
his works through a vast mass of the people, who, previous to their 
reading it, were comparatively unacquainted with both. Even plough- 
men and mechanics YidiVe become philosophers; and the philosophy 
they learned from Sturm, they have found to be the handmaid of di- 
vinity : by both they have been led to give glory to God in the high- 
est, and to endeavour to promote peace and good will among men. 

The translator hopes that this nev/ edition will not be less favour- 
ed with the Divine blessing: and as it is accurately revised and cor- 
rected throughout, he has no doubt but it will still meet with that 
approbation which was so liberaUy bestowed on it at its first appear- 
ance ; and of which its present improved state renders it still more 
deserving. 

ADAM CLARKE. 



TO 



DR. CLARKE, 

ON 

HIS UNMUTILATED* TRANSLATION 

OF 

STURM'S REFIiECTIONS, 



Dear Clarke, believe the poet: not alone 

Let fair Philosophy her starry throne; 

Her lov'd companion, Poesy surveys, 

In nature's empire, wisdom's sweet displays; 

Not only joys Philosophy to rove 

The lawn enamell'd and empuipled grove; 

Nor only rapt, adores the splendid beam, 

That gilds divinely great Redemption's theme : 

From heaven benignant, whence the blessings flow 

That make our weal, or mitigate our wo, 

The Muse descended on ethereal wing. 

With vocal song sublime, and sounding string. 

Young nature, smiling in her virgin charms, 

The heavenly guest received with ready arms; 

Bade al! the beauties of the realm attend, 

The beckoning summons of her sky-bom friend. 

" Ye pjastic forms! obey the potent lyre, 

" When will the Muse, in sweetest charms, attire: 

" Gliding obedient, fairest forms ! along, 

" Follow her lyre, and decorate her song : 

"They lay omnific while her strains rehearse, 

" Be all that wills the omnipotence of verse." 

E'er since, obsequious to her high command, 
Being awaits her modulating hand : 
And genial forms when by the muse arrayed, 
Yield lovelier light, or sink in softer shade. 
Alike her movements, whether liquid air, 
Uer agile steps, or land or ocean bear. 

* See tlie Translator's Prefaca 



Xll 



The world of waters, all its sleepless waves, 

Its finny colonies, its sapphire caves, 

And all the heauties of the spangled sky, 

At once unbosom to the piercing eye. 

'Tis her's to lift the hold adventurous plume ; 

Where aught of finite never dares presume ; 

To hear entranced, what mortals caarnot hear, 

And catch the music of each tuneful sphere, 

To dazzling suns enthron'd in living light, 

Where'er their beams impel their distant flight, 

Wirere'er, dependant on then frontal ^.res, 

Hang their gay planets, — there the muse aspires : 

Pursues the light-wurg'd thought through bomrdless space, 

And gives her song the glowmg captive's grace. 

And '•' nature's minims," how the Muse descries, 
With keen, acute, discriminating eyes ; 
With disquisition, elegant and free. 
Dives the deep thought where being 'gins to be ; 
Sees, m the womb of nature's gloomy mine, 
The embryo crystal first essay to shine : 
The dazzling diamond its first beams acquire, 
And in the centre drinlc the solar fire, 
Perceives in mother earth's alchymic mould, 
The mellowiug clay transforming into gold; 
And infant silver, emulous of white. 
Imbibe with soft desire, the lucid light. 

But chief (the poet's lovely theme of themes) 
The Muse beholds tire scmtilating beams, 
Amid tire scenes that mark the varying year, 
Excite the leafy people to appear ; 
In hues distinct each family array. 
And paint their sweet cheeks imrocently gay. 
From Taurus soon to where the Virgin's charms 
Invite Apollo to celestial arms. 
Day's radiant chief, with unabating speed, 
Along the skies compel the flaming steed ; 
Now golden sxm-beams in the welkm glow, 
Now hang rich fruits on every yielding bow ; 
And waving ears the yellow plain along, 
A phalanx'd army, amicably throng. 
But soon succeeding down tti' autum,nal vale, 
On cool, dark pinion, sighs November's gale ; 
And gray-beard Winter quickly posts behind, 
On rapid wings of cloud embattling wind : 
Up to the heavens exalts his hydra heads; 
His sable mantle o'er the world outspreads ; 
In frozen fist holds momitaUrs, dales, and plains, 
And binds the limpid rills in icy chains. 

Ilim, ALL in ALL, tlie raptured Muse espies, 
In azure vest, who decks the vernal skies ; 
^'Vhose skilful hand the Summer scene designs. 
Paints the bright plains, the sy!van bower eniwinea; 



XIU 

Wliose ample bounty fruitful Autumn crowns, 
And whom old Winter, midst his terrors, owns. 
Admires the temple; better pleas'd to admire 
Th' essential Deity,— her God, her Sire. 
Still nobler ecstacies the IMuse inflame, 
Amid the themes that speak the Maker's name; 
And higher pleasures occupj^ her breast, 
When seen in all the God of grace confest 

Thus taught in Luther's school,* Giail, name approv'dl 
Priz'd by religion, and by learning lov'd !) 
Wisdom and grace, philosophy explores : 
The Maker loves, the saving God adores ! 
A second Luther's pupil bids again. 
Thee, hallowed Virgin, burst thy British chain ; 
Bids thee, indignant, cast the vail away, 
Whose shade unholy hid thy loveliest ray. 
Clarke bids thy brilliant sceptre re assert - 
Thy gracious empire in the Christian heart; 
With purest beams diffusive and divine, 
In all thy evangelic glories shine. 
At Clarke's command thy beauties re appear, 
Wipe, lovely captive ! wipe the last sad tear, 
And, whll3 his hands thy pristine charms restore, 
Be all that Stotim depicted thee before. 

THOMAS ROBERT& 

* Mr. Stunn was a Lutlieran minister. 



LINES 



ON 



READING STURM'S REFLECTIONS, 



1 siNQ the Source of being, nature's Lord ! 
In all his works eternally ador'd! 
His works are great, and still his power proclaim ; 
Sought out, and laiown of those that love his name: 
Who pieas'd, trace down his wonder-working power 
From the briglit sun to its obsequious llower : 
And what ot great or small, that stands between, 
In all, his skill and forming hand are seen. 

But chief of all his works, since time began, 
He summon'd into life, and nam'd it Man : 
A ViTondrous frame ! Of dust he made the whole, 
And breath'd into the clay a living soul ; 
With intellect endued, and powers of sense, 
To scan the wonders of Omnipotence. 

Yet vain his efforts — All his wisdom vain. 
The hidden laws of nature to explain, 
Till Newton rose, chief in fair wisdom's van, 
The J!rst in science, and the boast of man. 
He sought out nature in its varied forms 
Of softening dews, and widely- wasting storms; 
Of pestilential wind which all devours ; 
Of gentle gales, and earth-refreshing showers j 
Of planetary worlds in order rang'd. 
Fast moving on — ^the system still unchanged. 

Pervading ether, borne on learning's wings, 
He followed nature to its latent springs; 
Of all its secret powers explor'd the source; 
Centripetal and centrifugal force : 
Attracting here— and there repelling far, 
The elliptic comet and the wandering star. 



XV 



The gravitating power of earthly things : 
The course of tides— their equinoctial springs ! 
Of light and tints he true adjustments made, 
Defining colours with the prism's aid : 
Stopp'd at effects, explained their hidden cause, 
And taught the astonished world great nature's laws. 

A train of sages after him arose ; 
Their study sacred wonders to discloss ; 
They wrote of worlds, and suns, a beauteous host, 
To common sense and simple vision lost. 

Others again, of seas and hidden mines, 
Of earth's vast treasures, and its measured lines, 
Of all its beauties, (an exhaustless theme,) 
Descant at large, and laud the wond'rous scheme; 
Or rather Him who formed it great and good : 
First cause of all — of all least understood. 

Continuing on the philosophic race, 
Some pass'd away, and more supplied their place; 
Till time had nearly run its ample course, 
And still was hastening to rejoin its source. 

Then Sturm appear'd, deep vers'd in Newton's page, 
Diffusing knowledge througli this latter age, 
To lead the simple in the path of truth. 
And guide in wisdom's ways unwary youth. 
He spake of fields, and meads~of deserts wild, 
Of rending earthquakes, and of moonlight mild ; 
From mountains vast, in many a distant land, 
Down to the wonders in a grain of sand: 
Of frigid climes, where rest perpetual snows, 
And torrid zone, where heat intensely glows. 

He spake of oceans too, and earth's rich store, 
Of lovely coralines, and precious ore : 
Of clouds and mists, — and mist- dispelling rays, 
Of gradual-coming night, and rising daya 

Ascending still In being's mighty scale, 
ne notes the oyster, and describes the whale. 

Rising to iniddle air, he there descries 
The feather'd tribe of every hue and size 
The tyrant eagle, and the gentle dove : 
Of power the emblem that—Q.r\^ this of love. 
The roaming wild beast, and domestic clan : 
(The bane of human kind— the friend of man,) 
Are noted too, with philosophic eye ; 
With snails that creep, and light-wing'd butterfly. 

These are the embryos of his mighty plan : 
Wliich new unfolding, rises into man : 
Dissects his form Willi anatomic care, 
Compos'd oX fire, and water, eailh, anC air : 



XVI 

Which modelled by the forming hand divine, 
In perfect symmetry and beauty shine. 
A noble structure, rear'd with curious art ; 
The tchole exact— exact in every jpar/. 
Of all he spalce, and taught by simple rules, 
The true philosophy of learned schools, 
Without their jargon; lovely all and free, 
Like nature's purest self, simplicity ! 

And what through this laborious work his aim? 
To magnify his great Creator's name ; 
Display his power, and spread his praise abroad, 
Till infidels, confounded, own a God ; 

To profit those who laiew a power supreme, 
And gloried in the soul-exultmg theme; 
Who fear'd, who lov'd, and joyfully ador'd, 
Their body's r.Iaker, and their spirit's Lord. 

77ms Sturm desigir'd, and prosperous was his plan, 
Far as his native, nervous language ran : 
Yet all was vaur to those who Imew not aught 
Oi German tongue, by famous Bachmair taught: 
Nor yet conversant were with Chavibaud^s lore, 
To aid In reading Constance's* copy o'er. 

Pity a work so good should be confin'd, 
Or mutilated transcripts vex mankind : 
So reason'd Clarke, and his diffusive soul 
Disdainuig partial good— translates the whole. 

Hail blessed pair ! Your great design the same. 
To publish, through his tcorks, your Maker's fame '. 
And when our ti'ibute of respect is paid, 
We'll ov/n, that ti7ne this trifling difference made, 
Sturm we7it before, Clarke, /o»&tctj?^, " points the road 
Tliat leads through nature up to Nature's GOD." 

M. G 

* The ladv who translated the second (lerman ec^Jtion into French- 



REFLECTIONS. 



JANUARY I. 

• > 
A MEDITATION FOR NEW-YEAR's DAY. 

I CONSIDER this first day of the year, as if it were the first day of 
my life ; and dare expect from the goodness of my God as many 
blessings for the year that commences this day, as I have obtained in 
any since my entrance into the world to the present time. What 
favours have I not reason to expect from my heavenly Father, who, 
from the first moment of my existence, yea, even before I had a 
being, was occupied concerning me with so much tenderness and 
goodness ? 

At the moment of my arrival in this world he caused me to find 
parents and friends who assisted me, who have nourished me, and 
whose disinterested love provided for me in that state of weakness 
and incapacity in which I was found. Without their succour, with- 
out their generous attachment to my well-being, could I have pre- 
served health, and the many other blessings which I now possess ? 
If at that time I had been able to reflect upon my destiny, I should, 
without doubt, have promised myself many agreeable hours in the 
course of my existence upon earth. Now that I am capable of ma- 
king these reflections, I wish to give myself up to the contemplation 
of my happiness, and to those pleasing hopes which it invites me to 
form for the future. I enter with the present year into a new path 
of life, not so wholly deprived of all things, nor so incapable of assist- 
ing myself as I was when I first entered into the world j but with the 
same need of supernatural succour that I then had. 

I still need the fostering hand of my friends, their consolitary aid 
when dejected by disappointments, and their protection in those 
dangers to which I may be exposed. And will not my heavenly Fa- 
ther grant me a blessing so necessary ? Yes, I am certain he will : 
and whatsoever may happen to me in the course of this year, the 
Lord has without doubt, already chosen a friend for me, who in dubi- 
ous cases shall be my counsellor, and in afiiiction my support : who 
shall rejoice with me in my prosperity, and be the stay of my mind in 
the time of adversity. 

From the first moment of my life God has laid the foundation of 
my future destiny. It was not by accident that I was born of such 

3 



18 JANUARV^ L 



A meditation for new year's day. 



parents ; in such a part of the world ; and in such a particular time 
and not in another. The time, place, circumstances, and conse- 
quences of my birth, God has arranged in the wisest order. He then 
regulated my lot, weighed the hardships which I was to endure, and 
provided the comforts and satisfactions which should restore, calm- 
ness and serenity to my mind. After his purposes, many unknown 
causes must contribute to my felicity, and every thing which stood in 
any relation to me must concur to accomplish his beneficent designs 
With this first day of the new year I may consider my lot as bemg 
regulated anew. The Lord, who has given mc*a being, comprehends 
with a foresight which nothing can deceive, every week, day and 
instant of this year. Though all that concerns me be hidden from 
my eyes, yet every thing is open to the eyes of the Lord, and all is 
regulated according to his purposes, which are ever fraught with 
wisdom and goodness. If during the course of this year I should 
meet with some misfortune which I cannot foresee ; if some unex 
pected happiness should fall to my lot; if I meet with some loss 
which I have now no reason to expect, I shall consider the whole as 
happening according to the wise direction of my God. 

Impressed with this conviction, I enter on the journey which com- 
mences this day. Whatever may occur, I will confirm myself more 
and more in the persuasion, that Jehovah shall be my God and my 
Father in my old age, as well as he has been in my youth. If I find 
myself exposed to want or distress, I will remember the days of my 
infancy, a state still more critical, in which the Lord had pity upon 
me. If I meet with unfaithfulness from any friend, this must not 
disturb me ; God can raise me up others, from whose tenderness I 
may derive joy and comfort. Should my life be exposed to persecu- 
tions and distresses, which I can neither foresee nor prevent, this 
shall not terrify me; I will trust in the Lord, who has protected my 
infancy when it was exposed to a thousand dangers. 

What then shall hinder me from beginning this year with tranquil- 
lity ? I desire, without anxiety, to look forward, and abandon all my 
concerns to the direction of the Lord. I wish submissively to follow 
the path which he shall point out, and to bless him at each step, be- 
cause he leads me in a way so merciful and safe. 



JANUARY II. 

BLESSINGS WHICH GOD GRANTS US IN WINTER, TO WHICH WE PAY TOO 
LITTLE ATTENTION. 

If we examine the works of God more attentively than we com- 
monly do, we shall find, even in this season, many subjects which 
may lead us to rejoice in the goodness of the Lord, and to exalt the 
miracles of his wisdom. Doubtless there are few people so insensi- 
ble as not to find some emotions of joy and gratitude, when in spring, 



JANUARY IL 19 



Blessings granted us in winter. 



summer, and autumn, bountiful nature displays to tliem the ridi 
bounties of God. But in general, the most sensible hearts feel this 
sweet sentiment of gratitude excited in them, when they see the 
fields despoiled of their fruits and of their charms ; when the north 
wind whistles about their dwelling ; and when the icy cold benumbs 
the earth and its inhabitants. But, is it really true, that this season 
is so destitute of the blessings of heaven, as not to be capable of 
kindling gratitude and piety in the hearts of men ? Doubtless it is 
not. Let them only accustom themselves to be more attentive to the 
works of God more aifeeted with the different proofs of his goodness 
towards them ; and they will find many occasions, even in winlrer, to 
praise their Benefactor. 

Consider how miserable you would be, if during this excessive 
e:old, you had neither fire, bed, nor clothing to keep you warm. See 
with what goodness the Lord has foreseen your wants, and furnished 
you, even in this season, the most destitute of resources, with the 
necessaries and conveniences of life I Perhaps at this moment you 
feel the sweet influence of the fire : will you not magnify the Lord, 
who has provided coals and other fuel in such abundance, that even 
the most indigent can procure what is necessary ? You can lie down 
in a comfortable bed ; a blessing which ever should excite your 
gratitude to God ; especially if you consider that there may be many, 
who, through extreme want, are not supplied with such a safeguard 
from the cold. You have clothing in such abundance as enables 
you to brave the rigours of winter ; if yoic do not consider this a 
blessing, think on the state of many of your fellow-creatures, whose 
chilled limbs are but half covered with rags. If they had but half 
of your clothing, how happy would they esteem themselves ! And 
will you not acknowledge the happiness of your state? Will you 
refuse to render homage to your beneficent Creator ? 

But this is not all. If it were granted to mortals to know the con- 
catenation of causes in nature, how great would their admiration be 
at the wisdom and goodness of Jehovah ? However incapable we 
are of conceiving a proper idea of the whole of God's works, the little 
that we can perceive of them will give us reason sufficient to acknow- 
ledge, that the Divine government is infinitely wise and beneficent. 
Winter belongs to the plan which he has laid : if this season did not 
exist, spring and summer could not have so many charms, the fer- 
tility of our land would be greatly diminished, commerce would fail 
in many provinces, and a part of the woods and forests would have 
been created to no purpose. Considered in this point of view, winter 
is, no doubt, very useful; and supposing that these blessings were 
not so evident, it would be sufficient to consider, that winter is the 
work of the Creator, as well as spring and autumn, and that what- 
ever proceeds from him must be good. 

Supreme Being ! powerful and beneficent Creator, pardon us, if, 
through ignorance, we have hitherto found fault with the plan which 
thy wisdom has formed ! Pardon the ingratitude of which we have 



20 JANUARY IL 



Blessings granted us in winter. 



SO often been guilty during this season ? Yes, even in winter, thou 
grantest us more benefits than we deserve ; and more than we can 
express. If, to the present time, we have viewed them with an in- 
different eye ; if we have not understood their worth ; grant that we 
may at least for the time to come, be more attentive to, and more 
sensible of them ! Henceforward, during this cold season, when we 
feel the sweet influence of the fire, when covered with warm gar- 
ments, or when we goto our couch to seek the refreshment of warmth 
and repose ; thou shalt receive our thanksgivings, O thou Preserver 
of our life ! for the blessings which thy liberal hand dispenses to us 
during the course of this season. 



JANUARY III. 

THE DAILY PROOFS OF GOD's PROVIDENCE. 

Not to acknowledge the footsteps of Providence, except in extra- 
ordinary cases, is to betray our weakness and ignorance. In the or- 
dinary course of nature, a thousand things present themselves to us 
daily, which ought to fix our attention, and excite our admiration. 
The formation of a child in the womb of its mother, is as great a mi- 
racle of the Divine power, as the creation of the first man out of the 
dust. And the preservation of our life, if we consider the variety 
of causes and effects which are combined to produce it, is not less 
miraculous than the resurrection of the dead. The only diffe- 
rence between these two things is, that the one happens but seldom, 
while we are daily witnesses of the other. Hence it is that the for- 
mer does not strike our attention, nor sufficiently excite our admira- 
tion. 

Certainly, my own experience ought to give me the fullest convic- 
tion, that a Divine Providence watches over the preservation of my 
life. I am not sure of a single moment ! A thousand hidden and un- 
known causes may shorten my existence : may freeze my blood, or 
stop my breath. Alas ! I cannot but feel how incapable I am of 
preserving my life, or removing this or that infirmity or of shunning 
the various dangers which threaten me. Subject to so many bodily 
maladies, to so much weakness, to so many wants, relative both to 
my body and soul, as well as to my outward situation ; I am deeply 
convinced, that without the tender care of my God, I should be a 
creature extremely miserable. 

The union of my soul and body, their continual and reciprocal ac- 
tion on each other, are inconceivable in themselves, and do not de- 
pend either on my will or on my power. The beating of the pulse, 
and the circulation of the different fluids, are carried on in me unin-^ 
terruptedly, without my being able to contribute to them in the 
smallest degree. Every thing convinces me, that my faculties, my 
state, and the duration of my being, do not depend upon my own 



JANUARY III. 21 



Daily proofs of God's providence. 



will. It is the Lord who, by his secret and absolute power, maintains 
me in strength, motion, and existence. If my respiration be not 
stopped ; if my blood continue to circulate ; if my limbs have not yet 
lost their activity ; if the organs of my senses have preserved their 
proper functions ; if in this moment I have the faculty of thinking, 
and the power of my reason, it is to God alone I am indebted for 
these blessings. 

But why should I think so seldom, and with so little gratitude, on 
the daily manifestations of Divine Providence ? Should not the re- 
flections which I have now been making, be daily impressed upon 
my heart ? Should I not, at least every morning and evening of my 
life, meditate on the blessings of my Creator, admire them, and praise 
him for them ? Is it not reasonable that I should act thus, and by 
this homage distinguish myself from the insensible brute, and from 
those other creatures which have not received the faculty of contem- 
plating the works of Providence ? 

Divine Preserver of my life ! teach me worthily to contemplate 
the wonders of thy goodness ! Render my love capable of that ex- 
alted piety, which the heart of David felt, as often as he meditated on 
thy works ! And when thou hast granted me this blessing, may I feel 
its worth, and may it lead me to glorify thee, and to acknowledge 
that thou alone art the source of the happiness of Mankind. Then 
may I apply to myself these words of the pious patriarch, I am not 
worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou 
hast showed to thy servant. Gen. xxxii. 20. 



JANUARY IV. 

THE DIFFERENT USES OF FIRE. 

Fire is, in some sort, the universal instrument of all the art? ^nd 
helps to supply all our necessities. And to the end that man may 
have the constant assistance of this element, the Creator has placed 
it not only in the air and in the water ; but has also enclosed it in all 
oily and fat substances. How very useful to us are those combusti- 
ble matters which furnish the fire with that aliment which it re- 
quires ! Without a sufficient provision of these matters, we should 
be deprived of the greatest advantages, and exposed at the same time 
to the greatest inconveniences. In winter, without the fire, which 
gives us light, a great part of oar time must be spent in insupportable 
obscurity. Deprived of this artificial light, our most agreeable occu- 
pations must end with the setting sun ; and we should be obliged to 
sit motionless, or wander about with terror amidst a thousand dan- 
gers. Consider how melancholy our lot must be, if, in these long 
evenings, we could neither enjoy the comforts of society, nor use the 
resources of reading, writing or labour. Consider how inutritive 
and unhealthy the greatest part of the aliments which the earth pro- 



22 JANUARY IV. 



The different uses of fire. 



duces would be, where they are not softened, dissolved, and pre- 
pared in certain ways, by the action of fire. And how should we be 
able to provide so many other necessaries and conveniences, if artists 
had not procured them for us by the help of fire ? Without this ele- 
ment we could not give our garments those diversified colours : we 
could not soften metals, so as to purify and render them ductile; 
without its aid, we could not transform sand into glass, harden clay, 
or give to lime the consistence of stone. Without fire, nature, and 
all her treasures, would soon become almost useless to us, and lose^ 
in our eyes, the greater part of their charms. 

But let us confine ourselves to the advantages which we derive 
from Lt at this instant. What comfort do we feel in this chamber 
which is warmed by it, and which defends us from the impression oi' 
the external air! During hard frosts, w^e should be either con- 
demned to inaction, or at least to a thousand disagreeable sensations, 
if the invigorating fire did not communicate to us a certain degree of 
activity. How many old and consumptive persons would sufifer 
doubly were it not for the benign influence of fire I What would 
become of the poor nursling, if its delicate limbs were not strength- 
ened by gentle warmth ! O ye starving poor ! who, during this sea- 
son, feel all the rigour of the cold- — ready to sacrifice a part of your 
small pittance of bread to get fuel to warm your shivering limbs ; it 
is you whom I pity from the very ground of my heart ! Your state 
causes me to recollect a portion of my felicity, to which, until now, 
I have been too inattentive ; and more powerfully impresses on me 
the duty of gratitude to my heavenly f'ather for the advantages I 
receive from the h^at of the fire ! it also strongly urges me to con- 
secrate what I can spare to support you in those distresses from 
which I am exempted. 

O my God, my Creator, and my Benefactor, condescend to look 
upon me ! Behold, my heart breaks forth unto thee in praises and 
thanksgivings. It is to thy paternal care that I owe all the advantages, 
and all the comforts which, through the medium of the fire, I enjoy ! 
It is thou who hast commanded the earth to produce fuel in abun- 
dance ; and thy bounty provides so amply for our necessities, that 
there is no portion of the year deprived of thy blessings ! I return 
thee thanks for those which I enjoy at present. Continue to grant 
me the benign influence of the fire ; and may this element never be- 
come, either to me or my brethren, the instrument of vengeance ! 



JANUARY V. 

WINTER AMUSEMENTS. 



During this season, which, through prejudice, so many people 
consider as aflfording little pleasure, every one according to his pecu- 
liar taste, endeavours to procure himself such amusements as are cal- 



JANUARY V. 23 



Wintei' amusements. 



culated to divert him, and cause the long winter nights to pass away 
without weariness. Many, in order to compensate their sufferings by 
the rigours of the cold, are occupied in nothing else than dissipation, 
noisy company, or the enjoyment of transitory pleasures. It is dis- 
tressing to see the efforts which so many persons make, to shorten, 
hy inactivity or trifling pursuits, those days which are already too 
short. The course of the day is commonly filled with a circle of 
occupations, which neither correspond to the dignity of the man, nor 
the instruction of his soul. An hour after sunrise the voluptuarj'- 
leaves his couch. He projects, durmg the breakfast hour, the amuse- 
ments to which he wishes to sacrifice the new day. Again aban- 
doning himself to idleness, he waits for the hour of dinner : — it 
arrives, he feeds without fear, and gives up himself to the pleasures 
of the table. Satisfied, or rather overloaded with the immoderate 
use he has made of his food, he casts himself upon the bed of repose, 
that he may reacquire necessary strength to support new excesses. 
The hour comes when he is to go to a tumultuous company, unless 
the noisy circle is to assemble at his own house. He then falls to 
play ; and for the first time since the rising of the sun he shows that 
he is endowed with a soul; and with the cards in his hand, the hours 
pass rapidly away. Finally, this brutish man goes from his cards to 
his supper, and from his supper to his bed ; but there he finds no 
sweet repose: watchfulness, or terrifying dream.s, disturb the hours of 
the night. 

However, this is not the most reprehensible manner of wasting 
ihe days, and the long evenings of winter. How ingenious is man to 
multiply the means of shortening his time by vain amusements ! Some- 
times the chase calls him to leave the bosom of the town. Then he 
starts and pursues the fearful hare, or the timid deer, which being 
run out of breath, falls through its weakness a prey to the hunter, 
whose inhuman sports disturb the quiet of the country, and the 
repose of nature. At other times, luxury invites him to the ball, 
where often he loses, together with his innocence, his health of 
body and peace of mind. At other times, the pleasures of the play- 
house enchant him : there vicious passions glide imperceptibly into 
his heart, or rather are strengthened there : passions which render 
him incapable of relishing genuine pleasure. At other times, he runs 
to feasts and other diversions, which too often bring sin in their 
train. 

Perhaps I have marked out a sufficient number of the amusements 
of winter. May I be permitted, at present, to remind my fellow- 
creatures of the duties they have to fill in reference to their amuse- 
ments ? I do not blame the strong inclination which people have for 
society, and which is so particularly necessary to us in this season 
of the year : but I would say, take heed, lest an innocent desire 
degenerate into a ruling passion, and bring your soul at last into cap- 
tivity. Supposing even that in your parties nothing passes which 
is contrary to virtue and morality ; yet, notwithstanding this, they may 



24 JANUARY V. 



Winter amusements. 



become criminal to you, if they take up too much of your time, cause 
you to neglect the duties of your vocation, or derange the internal 
economy of your family. Amusement, however innocent, must not 
be our daily work; it is only for the sake of relaxation that the 
Creator grants us any thing of this nature. To have too keen a relish 
for such things, is to run the risk of missing the great end of our 
being, by seeking an enjoyment which at last may become a source 
of repentance and remorse. I particularly advise you, to be very 
attentive to the choice of your social amusements. Do not there- 
fore waste your time in diversions, which you cannot enjoy without 
injuring j^our virtue, your reputation, or the well-being of your fa- 
mily. Let not those foolish pleasures, which may hurt your neigh- 
bour, excite his complaints, bring tears from his eyes, or separate you 
from tlie duties which society and religion impose upon you, ever find 
an entrance to your heart. Let not the most innocent amusements so 
far captivate you, as to render you insensible to the pure and solid 
pleasures of Christianity, or deprive you of your relish for more seri- 
ous occupations. 

God ! do thou thyself govern my heart ; and grant that I may 
never forget thee, in tasting these earthly joys I That, in the midst of 
my dealings with men, the recollection of thy presence may be a cau- 
tion to me against all temptations I That I may be always abundantly 
more attached to the exercise of my duty as a Christian, citizen, pa- 
rent, &c., than to those pleasures which may so easily turn me from 
my obligations, or, at least slacken, the zeal which I have for that 
which is good ! But why should we feel so much eagerness for frivo- 
lous amusements, whilst even in the days of winter, we find such 
pure pleasures within our reach ? — If we have any taste for the con- 
templation of the works of God in nature ; the starry heavens, the 
fields covered with snow, and a thousand other phenomena of winter, 
may serve at once to regale our minds, and to nourish our piety. For, 
in winter also, the works of the Lord are great, sought out by all 
those who have pleasure therein ; and he who wishes to meditate upon 
them, shall enjoy continual and diversified pleasures. 



JANUARY VI. 

god's providential care of animals during winter. 

The innumerable hosts of rational beings dispersed over the diffe- 
rent nations of the earth, are provided at this season with every thing 
necessary to supply their wants, and render life comfortable. The 
greater the number of men is, the more their wants are varied, ac- 
cording to their condition, age and manner of life ; the more incapa- 
ble we are of forming a plan, and taking the necessary precautions, 
for the preservation of life ; the more those arrangements, full of 
wisdom and goodness, which our Creator has. made for this purpose 



JANUARY VI. 25 



God's providential care of animals in winter. 

deserve our attention and admiration. But there would be a sort of 
selfishness in restraining the Divine wisdom and goodness to the pre- 
servation of the human race alone, without recollecting that care which 
his providence takes of other animals during the winter ; a care which 
extends itself to creatures abundantly more multiplied over the face of 
the earth than the intelligent beings which inhabit it. However 
miraculous the preservation of the human species may be, we can say, 
with the strictest truth, that the care which the Divine Providence 
takes of other animals, is a still more astonishing proof of the wisdom, 
almighty power, and goodness of God. 

That the prodigious number of animals which swarm on our globe, 
should find in summer both dwelling-places and nourishment, is not 
so surprising ; because all nature is then disposed to accomplish this 
end. But, that in the present season, these innumerable creatures, 
these millions of quadrupeds, reptiles, fowls, insects, and fishes, 
should continue to exist, is a circumstance which must excite the as- 
tonishment of every person who is capable of reflection. Nature is 
so constituted, that the greater part of the animals are provided with 
a covering by which they can easily withstand the cold, and thus pro- 
cure their nourishment as well in winter as in summer. The bodies 
of the wild beasts, which inhabit the deserts and the forests, are 
formed in such a manner, that the hair which covers them falls off in 
summer, and being renewed towards winter, becomes a fur which 
enables them to bear the most intense cold. Other kinds of animals 
find an asylum under the bark of trees, under old ruins, in the clefts 
of rocks, and in the caverns of mountains, when the cold obliges 
them to quit their summer residence. Into these retreats, some 
carry beforehand the provisions by which they are to be nourished : 
others live on the fat which they have amassed during the summer ; 
and lastly, others pass the winter in a profound sleep. Nature has 
given to different kinds of birds an instinct, which leads them to 
change their climate at the approach of winter ; and we see them fly 
in flocks to warmer climes. Many animals which are not destined to 
travel, find, notwithstanding, in this season, what is necessary to sup- 
ply their wants. Birds know how to discover insects among the moss, 
and in the clefts of the bark of trees. Various kinds of quadrupeds 
carry provisions, during the summer, into their dens, and feed on 
them during the winter. Other animals are obliged to search under 
the snow and ice for that which is necessary for their support. Dif- 
ferent kinds of insects, fowls, and fishes, shut up in marshes, and in 
rivers frozen over^ are deprived of nourishment during the winter, 
and nevertheless are preserved. And there are probably many other 
means which are still hidden from our eyes, whfch Divine Providence 
makes use of for the preservation of animals. 

O Christian ! adore, with me, our almighty and beneficent Pre- 
server ! Notwithstanding his majesty and grandeur, he does not dis- 
dain to pay attention to the weakest creature which exists under 
heaven. From the elephant to the mite^ all animals are indebted to 

4 



^6 JANUARY VI. 



God's care of animals during winter. 



him for their habitation, their nourishment, and their life. And, 
where nature herself seems barren, and destitute of resources, he lEinds 
out means to supply her defects. Let this consideration strengthen 
thy confidence in God. O thou of little faith, how canst thou admit 
inquietude, anxious care, or distress into thy heart ; or despair of thy 
preservation during the days of winter ? " The God v/ho nourishes 
cattle, will not abandon man. He who shows himself great in little 
things, will show himself more so in those which are great. "=^ 

That God who furnishes a covering for animals, knows how to 
clothe thee. That God who points out to them the caves of the 
mountains as places of refuge, will teach thee to find an asylum in 
which thou mayest peaceably spend thy days. That God who has 
prepared for them, even under the snov/ and ice, that nourishment 
which is proper for them, will provide for thy subsistence, even in 
the -most critical times. 

Finally, let these reflections excite thee to imitate, as far as thy 
faculties will admit, the generous care of Divine' Providence, in con- 
tributing to the preservation and comfort of thy fellow creatures ; 
and what is more, to the well-being of every other living creature. 
To show cruelty to animals, to refuse them that nourishment, and 
those conveniences which are necessary, is to act manifestly against 
the will of our common Creator, whose beneficent regards are extend- 
ed to those creatures which are inferior to us. And if the brute crea- 
tion have a positive right to our care, how much more are we obliged 
to soften, as much as in our power, the distresses of our fellow 
.creatures ? Do not be contented to procure merely what may supply 
^thy own necessities ; but endeavour to provide something for the sup- 
port of others : and let it never happen, that any creature has 
perished through lack of receiving that support which it was in thy 
power to afford. 



JANUARY VII. 

THE CHARMS OF WINTER. 

Every season has pleasures and beauties peculiar to itself: and 
even the winter, however deprived of charms it may appear to some 
persons, fulfils also in this respect, the design of the Creator. In be- 
half of those who, through ignorance or prejudice, murmur at this 
season, I am going to detail those pleasures which it procures for our 
senses, and for our hearts. 

Is it not a most delightful spectacle to behold the dawn shine over 
a landscape covered with snow ? The thick fog which vailed the 

* In the German thus : 

Tier gott, der Thiere nahrt, wird meiischen nicht vertossen, 

VVer gross im Kleinen ist wird grosser seyn im grossen. 



JANUARY VII. 27 



The charms of winter. 



earth, and hid its objects from our sight, is suddenly dissipated. A 
light hoary frost whitens the tops of the trees : the hills and the val- 
lies are differently coloured, by reflecting the beams of the sun^ 
whose benign influence gives new life to aU creatures ; and seems to 
invite the titmouse to quit the thickets, and the sparrow to flutter 
from branch to branch. In proportion as nature seemed dead during 
the absence of the sun, in the same proportion she is animated on his 
appearing again ; and in her hoary garments, cheers the eye of the 
traveller. Have you ever considered, with attention, the formation 
of the snow ? Have yon ever reflected on the wonders which a sin- 
gle flake of this substance exhibits ? Admire, on the one hand, the regu- 
larity and symmetry of its shape, and on the other, the infinite number 
of flakes which fall from the air. What a pleasing sight to view the 
hills, the forests, and the thickets, clothed with such dazzling lustre ! 
What a charm results from the assemblage of all these objects ! Be- 
hold, (for the eye can never be satisfied with this sight, however it 
may be accustomed to it) behold the brilliant dress of those hedges ! 
see the forests bend under the white curtains which cover them ! 
The whole presents to our view the appearance of a vast desert, over 
which a uniform vail of dazzling white is extended. 

What idea shall I form of those who, at the sight of such phenome- 
na, feel nothing, or do not experience that pleasure which the Creator 
designed to afford them ? And as for you, who really murmur against 
the laws of nature, how much are you to be pitied ? If the appear- 
ance of nature in winter be not pleasing to you, I am afraid that spring 
itself with all its charms, will find you equally insensible. Come ye, 
who reverence your Maker, and see and taste how good the Lord is ; 
how adorable is his wisdom, and how unbounded is his goodness, even 
in the things which relate to the winter. However desolate nature 
may appear in our eyes, she is, nevertheless, a master-piece of Divine 
workmanship ; and it is our blindness alone which hides her beauties. 
Some rays of the Divine wisdom shine forth in every part; but how 
many more are hidden from us ! We do not follow nature in all her 
ways, and we are only attentive to those things which strike our 
senses or flatter our passions. In this, many bear a near resemblance 
to the brute, who sees the sun, the snow, and other phenomena of 
nature, without ascending to that God from whom all that occurs in 
heaven and earth proceeds. 

Reader ! with what satisfaction shall your soul be filled, if you ac- 
custom yourself to consider attentively the works of God in this sea- 
son of the year ! The air may be agitated around you, the heavens 
may become tempestuous, and nature be despoiled of her sweetest 
attractions ; but your soul may taste true pleasure, by beholding in 
all things the footsteps of the wisdom, power, and goodness of your 
:great Creator. However bounded your natural faculties may be, you 
will always find sufficient matter here to interest your senses and your 
understanding. You will feel no occasion to seek, with anxiety, the 
dissipations of the world or the amusements of dancing and gaming, 



S8 JANUARY VII. 



The charms of winter. 



You will find, whether alone, or in the circle of your children and 
friends, pleasures always genuine, and always new. 

O my soul, accustom thyself to taste these delights ! Let the 
works of God often occupy thy thoughts ; and such meditations will 
soften the asperities of life. Ascend toward God, by the ladder of crea- 
ted beings ; and in all times, and in all seasons, he will be the object 
of thy praise. 



JANUARY VIII. 

OF THE VEGETABLES WHICH PRESERVE THEIR VERDURE IN WINTER. 

The earth may now be compared to a mother who has been bereft 
of her most promising children. She is desolate and despoiled of 
those charms which variegated and embellished her surface. Never- 
theless, she is not deprived of all her children : here and there we 
discover vegetables which seem to brave the rigour of winter. Here, 
the wild haiothorn shows its purplish berries ; and the lauristinus 
discloses its flowers, disposed in bunches, crowned with a foliage 
which never withers. The yew-tree elevates itself like a pyramid, 
and its leaves have preserved their verdure. The feeble ivy creeps 
still about our walls, and remains unshaken, while the tempest roars 
around it. The laurel extends its green branches, and has lost no 
part of that dress which adorned it in summer. The humble box- 
tree shows here and there, among the snow, its verdant branches. 
These trees, and some others, preserve their verdure in the coldest 
climates, and in the most rigorous seasons. They are emblematic 
of the durable advantages which he possesses, whose mind is well cul- 
tivated, and whose disposition is sweet and pliant. The lustre of 
dress, which dazzles only the eyes of the vulgar, is a frivolous and 
transitory lustre ; the shadings of the most brilliant tints fade ; all ex- 
terior graces have but a short duration ; but virtue has charms which 
survive them all. " The man who fears the Lord, is like a tree 
planted by the side of a river ; he grows, and extends his branches 
afar ; he brings forth fruit in his season, and his leaves wither not ; he 
comforts those who seek the shade, and the traveller blesses him." 

How amiable is the pious man ! He borrows not his beauty from 
the external and arbitrary goods of fortune ; his true ornaments are 
within. The tempests of adversity may at times shake him ; but they 
can never cast him down : and shortly his head shall be raised far 
above all stormy regions. If unexpected misfortunes reduce him to 
poverty, he is still rich, because he possesses the approbation of God; 
has a good conscience, and a hope full of a blessed immortality. 
While he beholds those falling around him who were proud of their 
riches, and rebelled against God, he remains firm ; his noble humi- 
lity defends him from falling ; for the Lord holds him by his right- 
hand, and does not suffer him to stumble. 



JANUARY Vlll. 29 



Of vegetables which preserve their verdure in wintei. 

This raeditation leads me to the idea of a venerable old man. In 
the winter of his life he resembles those plants, which during this 
season of the year, still preserve their verdure. How many storms 
of life has he borne with constancy ! How many alluring objects has 
he seen wither ! He still lives, while the greater part of those who 
appeared at the same time with him upon the earth have been taken 
away. A pleasing sprightliness, the happy remains of his spring time, 
is still discoverable in him. However wrinkled his forehead may ap- 
pear, whatever ravages the hand of time may have made on his body ; 
he is still adorned with those virtues which recompense him for the 
loss of external beauty. He blooms again in his children, and his 
wisdom, uprightness, and consummate experience, serve still as an 
example and a lesson, even to his great grand children. 

that the winter of our life may have so many charms ! May we, 
after having lost all the attractions of youth, and of that maturer age 
in which we boasted, bloom again in our old age as a faithful tree, and 
inspire by our virtues, veneration and love ! In a short time, the 
beauty of our bodies shall fade as the summer flower : happy, if at 
that time, we shall have no cause to regret its loss ! Happy, if then 
we shall be found adorned with those attractions which spring from 
wisdom and virtue, and which the grave itself shall not be able to 
destroy. 



JANUARY IX. 

THE SINGULAR STATE OF MAN WHEN ASLEEP. 

We need not have recourse to extraordinary events, to understand 
the almighty power and wisdom of God. The most common occur- 
rences, together with the daily changes which are brought about in 
nature, are alone sufficient to convince us, in the most forcible man- 
ner, that the being who has created the world, and who directs all 
events, is infinitely wise, infinitely powerful and good. Of that vast 
number of miracles of which he is the author, I shall mention at present 
only one ; and though it occurs every day, it nevertheless highly de- 
serves to be remarked, and to become the object of our admiration. 
How often have we been refreshed and strengthened by sleep ! and per- 
haps have never reflected on that state ; or, at least, have not con- 
sidered it as one of the most remarkable eflects of Divine goodness. 
We think that nothing extraordinary happens to us when we are 
overtaken by sweet sleep ; we believe that the machine of our body 
is adapted to that situation, and that the desire we have for sleep 
comes from causes purely natural. Sleep has two appearances under 
which it may be considered : on the one hand there is nothing found 
in it that does not necessarily result from our nature : and, on the 
other, there is something so strikin,aj a.nd marvellous in this natural 



30 JANUARY IX. 



The state of man when asleep. 



effect, that will abundantly recompense our trouble in considering it 
more attentively. 

First, it is a proof of the wisdom of the Author of our being, that 
we sleep imperceptibly to ourselves. Endeavour to spy out the instant 
in which sleep comes to seize upon you : — that very attention will be 
an obstacle to its approach ; nor can you fall asleep, till the idea be 
completely dissipated. Sleep comes without being called for ; it is 
the only change in our mode of existence, in which reflection has no 
part ; for the more we endeavour to procure it, the less we succeed. 
Thus God has ordered sleep in such a manner, that it becomes t^ 
man an agreeable necessity ; and he has made it independent both of 
our reason and will. Let us extend this meditation, and consider the 
wonderful state in which we are found during the time of sleep. We 
live without knowing or feeling it. The pulsation of the heart, the 
circulation of the blood, the digestion of the aliments, the secretion 
of the various juices ; in a word, all the animal functions continue^ 
and are carried on in the same order. < 

In some respects, our souls seem to have suspended their activity ; 
and in a little time we lose all sensation, and every distinct idea^ 
The senses appear dead ; and all their accustomed operations are 
interrupted. The muscles, by degrees, move more slowly, till at 
length all voluntary motion ceases. This change takes place first in 
the forehead ; then the muscles of the eyelids, neck, arms, and feet 
lose their activity to such a degree, that the man seems transformed 
into a plant. The state of the brain becomes such, that it cannot 
transmit to the soul the same ideas which it does when we are awake. 
The soul discovers no object, although the optic nerve is unchanged, 
and the eyes wide open. The ears are open, and yet they hear no- 
thing. In a word, the state of a person asleep is marvellous in every 
respect ; and there is but another state in which man can be upon 
earth which is equally remarkable; and this first is evidently its 
image. The state which I refer to, is that into which we are brought 
by death. Sleep and death nearly resemble each other; and are 
full of conformities which it may be useful to consider. Who can 
well think of sleep, without also taking a view of death ? As imper- 
ceptibly as we at any time fall into the arms of sleep, so impercep- 
tibly shall we one day fall into the arms of death. It is true, that 
death often announces his coming, some hours and days beforehand ; 
but the very moment in which the sleep of death comes to seize on 
us shall arrive suddenly and the moment we appear to feel its stroke, 
is the last of our existence here-. 

The senses, whose functions were interrupted during sleep, are 
equally incapable of acting at the approach of death. In the same 
manner the ideas become confused ; we forget the objects which 
surround us : yea, we forget even ourselves ! Probably, the moment 
of our death may be as pleasant as the moment in which we begin to 
sleep. The convulsions of the dying often cause them as few dis- 



JANUARY IX. 31 



The state of man when asleep. 



agreeable sensations as the gi'inding of the teeth, or snoring, cause to 
those who are asleep. 

Let our piety often renew this meditation. Whenever we seek 
repose on our bed, let us think on the wonders of this refreshing 
sleep, and bless our Preserver, who, even when we slumber, works 
such great things in our behalf. Yes, undoubtedly, great indeed ! for, 
if there were not a protecting hand over us, to how many dangers 
might we fall a prey during the night ? If God had not directed and 
supported the pulsations of our heart, the circulation of our blood, 
and the motion of our muscles ; the first sleep that had followed our 
birth, would have delivered us into the hands of death. And if he 
had deprived us of the blessings of sleep, long ere this we should 
have lost both strength and life. Let us reflect attentively on all 
these things, and .our hearts will point out to us the duty w^e owe to 
our great Benefactor. Then, full of joy and gratitude, we shall bless 
the Lord, who proves himself to be our God in all the circumstances 
of life. 



JANUARY X, 

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CLIMATE WHERE WE DWELL. 

Do we feel in a proper manner how happy we are in divers re- 
spects? Truly the blessings of our heavenly Father are poured out 
upon us on every side. The aspect of our forests, meadows, and 
hills; the pure and temperate air which surrounds us day and night; 
the seasons of the year, and the variations which accompany thera, 
all announce to us the goodness of God, and the extent of our happi- 
ness. And, can we complain of the lot w^hich God has given us ! 
Of the economy with which he distributes his favours ? Shall we 
murmur, because we have not a perpetual summer; or because the 
rays of the sun do not always cheer us : or because an equal degree 
of heat is not always felt under our zone ? 

What ingratitude ! and at the same time what ignorance ! Truly, 
we know not what we desire, nor of what we complain. It is through 
inadvertency, or pride, that we do not acknowledge the goodness of 
God, which has particularly favoured our climate ? V/e often mur- 
mur against the rigours of winter, and we are foolish enough to envy 
the places, where the vicissitudes of seasons are unknown. In warm 
climates, people are more exposed to epidemic disorders, than in 
those on which the sun shines with less ardour ; nor is life itself so 
prolonged in those countries as in ours. Besides, it is remarked that 
men are not so robust, and that the population is not so great in those 
climates as among us. And even when the cold is at its highest pos- 
sible degree in our climates, we are much more happy than the in- 
habitants of those countries are, where the cold is far more keen and 
constant, in comparison with which our most rigorous winters would 
pass for the temperature of autumn. Compare, in idea, your lot 



32 JANUARY X. 



The advantages of the cUmate where we dwell. 



with that of the inhabitants of the northern part of our globe. Here, 
some of the sun's beams illuminate our cloudy days, and reanimate 
our minds. There, the days resemble nights which are not cheer- 
ed by a single ray of that beneficent luminary. Here, through the 
means of our fire and bed, we can always brave the rigours of the 
cold. There, on the contrary, people are disturbed and attacked by 
ferocious beasts, which they dread more than the cold; nor can 
their wretched huts aflford a shelter against either of those enemies. 
Among us, the charms of society soften the inconveniences of win- 
ter ; but the unhappy mortals who dwell within the polar circle, are 
almost separated from the rest of mankind, and live dispersed about 
in hordes. We have the happiness of seeing the succession of day 
and night, while these miserable people pass the greater part of their 
time in darkness. Finally, and this is the most essential advantage 
after three or four stormy disagreeable months, we enter on a season, 
the charms of which comfort us, and cause us to forget all we have 
suffered. On the contrary, those can only contemplate nature in a 
state of constant death, without ever seeing it revive, for with them an 
eternal winter reigns. 

Let us bless the beneficent hand which assigns us so happy a lot ! 
Far from murmuring against it, let us glorify the Lord, who has re- 
gulated it with so much wisdom and goodness. And if at present, 
in our houses, or in the society of our friends, we spend the days of 
winter in an agreeable manner ; let us think of our unhappy fellow- 
creatures who are deprived of these pleasures, the frequency and 
abundance of which cause us to forget their worth. And, when we 
examine nature, such as she appears to us in those countries, let us 
say to God, penetrated with gratitude and joy, " I render thee thanks, 
O Lord, for having fixed my abode in a climate where, during each 
season, thy goodness is manifested with so much magnificence. May 
my joy and gratitude, may my efforts to please thee, be proportioned 
to the blessings which I enjoy beyond other people. May the fertility 
and delights of the country, in which thou hast caused me to be born, 
excite me to study and contemplate thy works and thy benefits ! O 
my Creator, and my Father, how much will the image of this felicity 
one day transport me ! One day, I shall come to that celestial habi- 
tation, those abodes of blessedness and perfection, which Jesus Christ 
has prepared for me, where I shall adore, with all the nations of the 
world, the miracles of thy goodness !" Amen. 

JANUARY XI. 

tHE FERTILITY WHICH SNOW COMMUNICATES TO THE EARTH. 

If we consider appearances only, we might say, snow cannot be very 
useful to the earth ; and should be rather led to believe, that the hu- 
mid cold imparted by it, might be injurious to trees and plants. But 
the experience of all ages should free us from this prejudice. By 



JANUARY XL 33 



The fertility which snow communicates to the earth. 

this we are taught, that in order to protect corn, plants, and trees, 
from the dangerous influence of the cold, nature could not give them 
a better covering than the snow. Although in itself it is cold ; it never- 
theless shelters the earth from freezing winds : it maintains the 
warmth which is necessary to the preservation of seeds; and even 
contributes to dilate them by the nitre with which it is impregnated. 
Thus, in this early season, God prepares what is necessary for the 
support of the beings he has formed ; and provides beforehand for 
our nourishment, and that of an infinite number of other creatures. 
Nature is always active, even in the time when it appears to rest ; 
and it renders us real services, even when it appears to refuse them. 
In this also, let us admire the tender care of Divine Providence. 

See how, in the roughest season, Providence is employed for our 
comfort ; and how, without our labour or assistance, it is silently 
preparing all the treasures of nature. With such striking proofs of 
God's beneficent care, who can give himself up to anxiety or dis- 
trust ? What God does every winter in nature, he also does daily 
for the preservation of the human race. What appears to us at first 
useless or injurious, contributes in the end to our felicity. And often 
when we believe that God ceases to act for us, it is then that he is 
forming plans which are hidden from us ; and which in being deve- 
loped, work our deliverance from this or that adversity ; and procure 
us such blessings as we could not have dared to hope for. 

But God has not only designed that the snow shall cover the 
earth ; but that it shall fertilize it. How much care and labour do 
we use to give that quantity of manure to the land which is neces- 
sary ! And how easy is it for nature to accomplish this end ! The 
snow which possesses this virtue, is more profitable than the rain, 
and than all other manures. When it is thawed by the sun, or gra- 
dually dissolved by the warm air, the nitre which it contains, deeply 
penetrates the earth, and vivifies the various tribes of plants. Who 
can help remembering the emblem under which God represents the 
salutary efficacy of his word : As the rain cometli down, and the snoid 
from heauen, and returneth not thither again, tut icatereth the earthy 
andcauseth it to bring forth and bud; so shall the word be that goeth 
out of my mouth ; it shall not return 7into me void, but shall accom- 
plish that which I please, and prosper in the thbig ivhereto I sent it. 
Isa. Iv. 10, 11. We live in a time in which this prediction is accom^ 
plished in the most striking manner. While provinces, kingdoms, 
and large portions of our globe, which were formerly buried in igno- 
rance, superstition, and unbelief, are now illuminated by the Gospel. 
And with what a blessed efficacy is the word of the living God still ac- 
companied ! Over how many hardened hearts has it triumphed ; how 
many good v/orks, hov/ many fruits of piety, has it produced ! Oh, 
may Divine grace ever find our hearts a soil properly disposed to feel 
Its salutary influences ! Amen. 

5 



34 JANUARY XII. 



Contemplation on the starry heavens. 



JANUARY XII. 

CONTEMPLATION ON THE STARRY HEAVENS. 

The heavens exhibit to our view, in the night season, a marvellous 
sight, which should excite the astonishment of every attentive ob- 
server of nature. But how comes it that so few people attentively 
consider the firmament ? I hope that igiiorance only is the cause with 
the greater part ; for it is impossible to be convinced of the grandeur 
of the works of God, or contemplate the majesty of the Most High, 
without feeling an ecstasy which has something of heaven in it ! I 
wish my reader to partake of this Divine pleasure. To this end, 
raise your thoughts to heaven. It will suffice for me to name to you 
those immense bodies which are dispersed through the vast space, to 
fill you with astonishment at the majesty of the Workman. 

In the centre of our world, the sun has established his throne. 
This luminary is at least 1,380,000 times greater than the earth, and 
is distant from it at least 95,000,000 of miles ! Yet, notwithstanding 
the prodigious distance, he has the most sensible influence upon our 
sphere. Seven globes, which we term planets, move round the sun. 
These are opaque bodies, which receive light and heat, and perhaps 
their inward motion, from the sun. Herschelt Saturn^ Jupiter, Mars, 
the earth, Venus, and Mercuryi are the names of these seven primary 
planets. Of these seven globes. Mercury is the nearest to the sun ; and 
it is on this account, that he is, in general, invisible to astronomers. 
As he is about fourteen times less than our earth, he scarcely con- 
tributes to beautify the firmament. He is 37,000,000 miles distant 
from the sun. 'V€7ius follows him; and we sometimes call her the 
morning, sometimes the evening star. She is (for her size) the most 
luminous of the heavenly bodies, whether she precede the rising of 
the sun, or succeed his setting. She is somewhat larger than our 
earth ; and is distant from the sun about 68,000,000 of miles! After 
Ve7ius, comes our earth, round which the moon moves as a seconda- 
ry planet, distant from the sun 95,000,000 of miles. Mars is the 
fourth planet, and is seven times smaller than our globe ; his distance 
from the sun is about 144,000,000 of miles. Ju'piter, with his belts, 
distinguishes himself always by his light in the starry vault. To the 
naked eye his magnitude surpasses that of any of the fixed stars. He 
shines nearly equal to Venus, when she is in all her splendour, only 
his splendour is not so vivid as that of the evening star. His distance 
from the earth is 490,000,000 of miles. How little is our earth in com- 
parison of Jupiter ! Fourteen hundred globes as large as our earth, 
would scarcely make one equal to Jupiter ! Next comes Saturn, with 
his ring, at the distance of 900,000,000 of miles from the sun^ and is 
1000 times larger than the earth I The planet Herschel, or Georgium 
Sidus, is the last in our system which has hitherto been discovered : 



JANUARY XII. 35 



Contemplation on the starry heavens. 



it is 1800 millions of miles distant from the sun, and 20 times larger 
than the earth. 

The sun, and all the planets which accompany him, are l)ut a point 
in comparison of the vortex of nature. Each star which appears 
to us no larger than a brilliant in a ring, is in recility an immense 
body, probably equal to the sun in dimensions and splendour ! Every 
star is not only a world, but the centre of a planetary system ! And 
it is in this light that we should consider the stars which burn over 
our heads, in the winter nights. They are to be distinguished from 
the planets by their sparkling light, and by their always occupying 
the same place in the heavens. According to their apparent great- 
ness, they are divided into six classes ; and all put together make up 
about 3000 stars, according to Mr. Flamstead's catalogue. But though 
men have endeavoured to determine their number, it is certain they 
are innumerable. The number of stars apparent here and there, 
which the most piercing eye cannot perceive but with difficulty, will,^ 
of itself, show that the attempt to make the calculation must be in 
vain. Telescopes, undoubtedly, have opened to us new points of 
view in the heavens, and have discovered to us some thousands of' 
stars : but it would be a most foolish pride in man, to wish to deter- 
mine the limits of the universe by those of his telescope. 

If we reflect on the distance of the fixed stars from our earth, we 
shall have new reason to admire the immensity of the universe. Our 
senses alone discover to us that the stars must be much further dis- 
tant from us than the planets. Their apparent smallness arises only 
from their being at a such distance from the earth. In fact, this dis- 
tance cannot be measured : a cannon ball, supposing it could pre- 
serve the same" velocity, v\rould not reach the nearest of the fixed 
stars in 600,000 years ! What then are these fixed stars ? Their pro- 
digious distance, and their splendour, tell us : — ^they are suns, which 
pour down upon us, not a borrowed light, but a light which is essen- 
tially their own. They are suns, which the Creator has sown by 
millions in illimitable space, each of which is accompanied by many 
terrestrial (or such like) globes, which it is destined to warm and 
illuminate. 

However surprising these observations may appear, they have only 
led us to the first limits of the creation. If we could dart beyond 
the moon, and approach the planets : if we could reach the most ele- 
vated star above our heads, we should discover new heavens, and new 
suns ; new stars, and new systems of worlds ; and perhaps still more 
and more magnificent. But all these would not fix the bounds of the 
empire of the Great Creator, and we should observe with the utmost 
astonishment, that we were only come to the frontiers of the place 
of worlds I Little as we know of his works, it is sufficient to induce 
us to admire the wisdom, power, and infinite goodness of our adora- 
ble Creator. 

Reader ! stop here and reflect. — How great must that God be who 
has created all these immense globes I who regulates their revo- 



36 JANUARY XII. 



Contemplation on the starry heavens. 



lutions, and whose powerful hand governs and supports them ! And 
what is this speck of earth which we inhabit, with all the magnificent 
scenes which it exhibits, in comparison of the extent and beauty of 
the firmament I Though this earth were annihilated, its absence from 
the universe would be no more observed than a grain of sand from 
the sea-shore ! What in comparison of these worlds, are provinces 
and kingdoms ? Nothing but atoms, which sport in the air, and are 
only perceivable in the rays of the sun ? And what am I when I 
reckon myself among the infinite number of the creatures of God ! 
I am lost in my own nothingness ! But, however little I may appear 
to myself here, how great do I find myself in other respects ! " How 
beautiful is this starry firmament, which God has chosen for his throne ! 
What more admirable than the celestial bodies ! Their splendour daz- 
zles, their beauty enchants me. Nevertheless, however marvellous 
and richly adorned this heaven is, it is destitute, of intelligence : it 
does not know its own beauty : and my feeble clay, which God has 
kneaded by his hand, is endued with sense and reason." 

I can contemplate the beauty of those radiant globes : what is more, 
I can in a certain measure, know their sublime Author, and take a 
glimpse of some rays of his glory. Oh ! may I attach myself more 
and more to know him and his works ; and may this be my occupation, 
till he shall raise me above planets, suns, and worlds ! Amen. 



JANUARY XIII. 

THE DISCOVERIES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE BY MEANS OF THE 
MICROSCOPE. 

Nature is the same in little objects as she is in great ones : there 
is not less regularity and harmony in the structure of the mite than 
is that of the elephant : the only difference is, that the weakness of 
our sight does not permit us to penetrate the nature and organization 
of small bodies, which often escape our notice, nor do we get a pro- 
per discovery of them but by a foreign assistance. The microscope 
has discovered to us a new world both of vegetables and animals. 
It has showed that the objects which were invisible to the naked eye, 
have extension, difference of parts, and peculiarity of figure. Let 
us produce some examples to induce us to praise God, whose glory 
manifests itself so wonderfully in the smallest objects. 

Every grain of sand appears round when we examine it by the 
naked eye ; but by the help of the microscope, we remark that one 
grain differs fr&m another, not only in figure but in size. Some are 
perfectly round, some square, and others conical ; but the greatest 
number are of an irregular figure. But what is still more astonish- 
ing, by microscopes, which magnify object:^ millions of times more 
than their natural size, we discover in a grain of sand a new animal 
world ; for their cavities are found to be the dwelling-place of insects 



JANUARY XIII. 37 



Discoveries by means of the microscope. 



In cheese are found little worms which we term mites, each of which 
appears but as a point to the naked eye ; but seen through a micro- 
scope, they are insects of a very singular figure. They have not 
only eyes, mouth, and feet, but also a transparent body, covered with 
long hair in the form of needles or prickles. As to the vegetable 
kingdom, we find it in the mouldiness which ordinarily attaches itself 
to damp bodies. This presents to our view a thick forest of trees 
and plants, whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits, may be clearly 
distinguished. The flowers have long stems, white and transparent ; 
before they open, the button is only a small green ball ; nor does it 
become white till after it has blown. — Little as we might have ex- 
pected to discover these objects in the mouldiness before mentioned, 
as little should we have expected to find that the dust which covers 
the wings of a butterfly was a collection of little feathers, had not the 
microscope proved this to be the case. But we have no need to ex- 
tend our researches to things at a distance, let us confine our inqui- 
ries to those which concern ourselves. Examine the surface of your 
skin with a microscope, and you will find that it resembles the skin of 
a very scaly fish. So small are these, that one grain of sand can 
cover 250 of them : and as one scale covers 500 pores, consequently 
a space equivalent to a grain of sand, includes 125,000 pores ! 

Thus you see how great your Creator is in things which prejudice 
has taught us to consider as trifles ; and how immense the number of 
creatures is which he has scattered over the surface of the earth ! 
What we see is the smallest, and perhaps the meanest part of the 
works of God. How many objects in nature are hidden from our 
eyes ! We already know about 30,000 different plants, and some thou- 
sands of species of insects. But what are these in comparison of the 
whole ? If the bottom of the sea, and the beds of rivers, were open to 
our eyes; if we could transport ourselves to other planets, how 
much would our astonishment be increased at the immense number of 
the creatures of God ! And that which should appear most wonderful 
is, that God has employed as much wisdom in those little objects, as 
he has manifested in those that are great. Nature shows herself as 
regular in her smallest productions, as she does in those prodigious 
bodies, the circumference of which we calculate millions of miles. 

The Creator provides with the same goodness for the necessities 
of the insect which creeps in the dust, as he does for those of the 
whale, which appears an island in the midst of the waves. In this 
respect, imitate the example of the Deity ! Let the meanest creature 
prove thy kindness, seeing our Common Author does not disdain to 
preserve its existence. 



38 JANUARY XIV. 



The advantages of night. 



JANUARY XIV. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF NIGHT. 

We are, doubtless, deprived of some pleasures wh^n the sun with- 
draws his light from us, and the greater part of our tiiiae passes away 
in the darkness of the night. Nevertheless, we have no reason to 
complain of this arrangement in nature. As the mixture of pleasure 
and pain, of natural good and natural evil, is wisely ordered; so also 
we find the wisdom and goodness of God in this remarkable variation 
which is found in our climate ; and we have a right to assert, that the 
winter nights are more advantageous than injurious to us : or at least 
that their apparent inconveniences are compensated or sweetened by a 
thousand blessings, but too little acknowledged. 

Are we \yell assured, that we should have considered the utility of 
the si;in, or that his light would have excited the same sentiment of 
pleasure in us, had we not been led to estimate its worth by a priva- 
tion of its advantages ? Each night may recal to our mind the good- 
ness of God, who, for the comfort of man, has spread light and beauty 
over the face of the whole earth. And it may also assist us to con- 
sider the misery in which we must pine, if daylight were not to suc- 
ceed to the shades of night. And is not darkness itself advantageous 
to us, by inviting us, through the silence and tranquillity which then 
reigns, to seek refreshing sleep ! How many labourers are there, 
who, during the day, exhaust their strength in our service ; and whose 
severe labour is rendered yet more vexatious by disagreeable sensa- 
tions ; who bless the night which suspends their labours, and brings 
them refreshment and rest ! In general, we show too much of a self- 
ish spirit, in measuring the advantages and inconveniencies of the night 
only by the profit or loss which we suppose we derive from that sea- 
son. If the long nights are disagreeable to some, to liow many others 
are they a blessing ! In certain cases, the night favours the hunter 
and the fisherman ! without it, could astronomy help us to form an 
idea of the distance, magnitude, revolutions, and' infinite number of 
the stars and planets ? And could the pilot make use of the polar star 
if the day were continual. 

Considered in another point of view, the night appears more bene- 
ficial to us, in diminishing our wants, which, during the course of the 
day; not only cost us many cares, but also consume our estate. How 
expensive are the conveniences and comforts of life, without which, 
we should think we had but half an existence ! How many families, 
pressed by want, begin the day with anxiety, and finish it in toilsome 
labour ! Night appears, and anxiety and wretchedness are suspended. 
To be comfortable, nothing is necessary but our beds ; and when sleep 
closes our eyelids, our wants are satisfied. Night equalizes the con- 
dition of the beggar and the monarch ; both enjoy ^ blessing which 
no money can procure. 



JANUARY XIV. 39 



The advantages of night. 



How good is that Being, who has adapted all things to the good of 
his creatures ! Most of those matters which we call inconveniences 
and evils, are only such to those who permit themselves to be guided 
by false views and passions ; when considered as they should be, we 
shall find, that these apparent evils are real advantages to the world. 

We may be assured, that many millions of our fellow-creatures, 
who have spent the day in fulfilling unprofitable tasks, or in painful 
labour; that others, who have groaned during the day under the 
yoke of the oppressor of humanity ; and that a number of travellers, 
both by land and sea, will praise God at the approach of the night, 
which brings with it the blessings of repose. Let us also bless him at 
the commencement of each night : and we shall surely do so, if we 
have had wisdom properly to employ the day, so as to acquire a right 
to expect refreshing sleep. The shorter the present days are, the 
more value we should set on every hour, and make a wise use of our 
moments. That night is at hand, in which it will be impossible for 
us to walk or work: but even this long night will be a benefit to us, if 
we enjoy, in the other world, that peace and rest which are the fruits 
of a life spent to the glory of God. How sweet shall such a rest b.e I 



JANUARY XV 

REFLECTIONS ON MYSELF. 

It is reasonable to turn my attention sometimes from foreign ob^ 
jects, and place it on myself. Too often it has happened, that while 
I meditated on surrounding objects, I have lost sight of myself, or, at 
least, I have not endeavoured to excite my heart to that gratitude and 
veneration at the view of the starry heavens, or at beholding the 
blessings of the earth, which these things should naturally pro- 
duce. I wish now to be employed in what more intimately concerns 
my structure ; in order to be convinced, more and more, that as man, 
I am not less a masterpiece of the Divine wisdom and power, than 
those prodigious bodies, the magnitude of which astonishes my imagi- 
nation. 

How admirable is the union of my soul and body ! And how inconi'? 
prehensible is their action on each other ! I daily find, that when the 
rays which illuminate the objects around me, touch my eyes, my soul 
receives the idea of the magnitude, figure, and colour of these objects. 
I perceive that when a certain agitation, or undulation, is made in the 
air, my soul receives the idea of sounds. By this means I have the 
perception of a thousand changes which take place around me ; and 
even of the thoughts of other persons. Every moment I feel that, 
when my soul desires it, my body transports itself from, one place to 
another; that it exercises its power upon my arms, my hands, my 
feet ; and that, in fine, all the members of my body are disposed, every 
moment, to obey each act of my will. All these are incontestible 



40 JANUARY XV. 



Reflections on myself. 



facts ; and yet I cannot explain the manner in which these things are 
performed. In this reciprocal influence of the soul upon the body, 
and of the body upon the soul, there is a wise and marvellous art 
which I cannot fathom ; and the result of my researches on this point 
is, surprise and admiration. 

If I consider my body separately, I find it also a masterpiece of 
Divine workmanship. Nothing is superfluous, nothing deficient. 
Every member is put in the most convenient situation, whether for 
the ornament or service of the body. Could I desire another mem- 
ber than those which compose a well-formed bod}?^ ? Suppose that one 
member were wanting or transposed; that my eyes, for instance, 
were attached to my feet, or situated where my ears are, what incon- 
veniencies and deformity would be the consequence ! Thus I find 
that the external part of my body is disposed with much wisdom. 
But the arrangement of its inward parts is still more admirable. My 
body must answer more than one end, and fulfil a variety of functions. 
It must be the medium through which the soul receives information 
of the different ways, in which outward objects present themselves. 
The organs of sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling, accom- 
plish this end ; and each of them is a miracle of the Divine power 
and wisdom. That the body may be capable of transmitting to the 
soul diiferent sensations from external objects, it is necessary that it 
should be moveable : and how many are the parts which concur to 
produce this end ! The bones, the joints, the ligaments, the muscles 
or fleshy parts, susceptible of extension and contraction, give me the 
capacity of moving my body a thousand diflferent ways. But, a ma- 
chine so wonderful as my body is, must, by its motions and the per- 
formance of its functions, suffer a continual loss. It is necessary, 
therefore, in order to the preservation of the machine, that this loss 
should be repaired. Thus other parts, besides those we have named, 
are necessary ; some to receive the aliments, others to grind them, 
to separate their nutritious juices, and to circulate these juices 
through the body, and to distribute to each member just as much as 
is necessary. All these parts are really found in our bodies ; and 
each of them perfectly accomplishes the end to which it w^as destined. 
I bless thee, O Lord, because thou hast so wonderfully formed 
me ! Yes, all thy works are wonderful, and my soul delights to ac- 
knowledge it. " To thee be rendered praises and thanksgivings ! I 
am one of the prodigies of thy power, Creator and preserver of 
men ! My body was formed by thy Divine hand, and each of my senses 
attests thy grandeur. May I glorify thee in all the exercises of the 
faculties of my body ; whether I breathe, walk, ^vork, or rest ! May 
I rejoice for ever in thee ; and may my soul be the temple in whjch 
thy Holy Spirit shall manifest its presence, and fix its everlasting 



abode !" Amen, 



JANUARY XVI. 41 



The damage occasioned by extraordinary col d. 

JANUARY XVI. 

THE DAMAGE OCCASIONED BY EXTRAORDINARY COLD. 

How comes it, that we so readily notice what the laws of nature 
produce which appears injurious ? that we dwell on and murmur on 
them, while we pass by so lightly the many striking advantages which 
they procure for us ? In these cases men act toward God as they are 
accustomed to do toward their fellow-creatures. The slighest offence, 
the smallest damage which they receive from their best friend and 
benefactor, often effaces the remembrance of the most essential ser- 
vices which they have obtained from him. Their ingratitude and 
pride diminish the worth of the benefits they have received ; and 
cause them to look upon slight offences as the greatest wrongs. In 
these times, especially, there is room to make this remark. At pre- 
sent, people seem only attentive to the evil which may result from 
the cold, without considering the good that the frost produces in the 
earth ; or, at least, they think of it Vvdthout any sentiment of grati- 
tude. If they discover the smallest loss ; if some parts of the great 
lohole suffer a little ; they believe themselves authorized to murmur 
against God, without considering that nature, taken together, derives 
great advantage from the cold. Let us now impartially weigh the 
advantages and disadvantages which we derive from this present state 
of things ; and the result of our researches will convince us how 
little reason we had to find fault with a wise and gracious Providence. 

It is true, that a severe cold brings inconveniencies, and has dis- 
tressing consequences. Sometimes the water is frozen so very deep 
as to render the fountains useless : the fish die in the ponds : the 
rivers are covered with shoals of ice, which sometimes get on shore 
and make great ravages. Water-mills are stopped, which may soon 
produce a dearth of bread. Fuel either cannot be gotten, or is ex- 
tremely dear. Vegetables sustain great damage ; the winter grain 
freezes, if not well covered ; and plants and trees die. Several ani- 
mals sink under cold or hunger ; the health of men often suffers ; 
and their life is exposed to various dangers. 

These are some of the most striking evils which the rigour of the 
season may produce. But how many winters do we pass over with- 
out feeling these ? And even when it happens that a few animals die, 
or plants perish by the cold, what are these in comparison of the 
benefits we derive from it ? Let us be more circumspect in the judg- 
ment which we form concerning the ways of God. Knowing so little 
the connexion of the things of this world ; not being able to embrace, 
in all its extent, the chain of causes and effects ; how can we take 
upon us to pronounce on what is good or evil in nature ? And would 
it not be extremely unjust and unreasonable, that a partial evil should 
lead us to blame the whole ? Let us rather acknowledge our igno- 
rance, and strengthen ourselves in the consolatory persuasion that 
there is more good than evil in the world ; more subjects for content- 
ment, than there are causes of affliction : and let us also learn, that 

6 



42 JANUARY XVi. 



Tl^e damage occasioned by extraordinary cold. 

there are many things which our personal interest causes us to con- 
sider as injurious, which contribute to the general good. Reasoning 
thus, we shall be tranquil in all events : and whatever our lot may be, 
we shall not cease to praise our wise and beneficent Creator, 



JANUARY XVII. 

nature's, rest during winter. 

The days of winter are the days of nature's rest. In the prece- 
ding months she has been occupied in accomplishing the designs of 
God in labouring for the welfare of the creatures. How rich has the 
spring been in flowers ! How many seeds has it developed ! And 
what an abundance of fruits has the summer ripened, that we might 
collect them in autumn ! Each month, each day, we receive some 
presents from nature. Is there an instant in which she does not 
either cheer our sight, regale our smell, or flatter our taste ? And 
how often does ^e satisfy the whole at once ! Like a good mother, 
she is busied from the beginning to the end of the year, in providing 
for her favourites the necessaries, conveniencies, and comforts of life : 
food, raiment, and delight ; all have been derived from her maternal 
bosom. For us, she has caused the herbs to bud ; for us, she has 
loaded the trees with blossoms, leaves, and fruit ; for us, she has 
covered the fields with corn ; for us, the vine bears its invigorating 
fruit; and for us, the whole creation is adorned with a thousand 
charms. Wearied with so many labours, nature at present reposes ; 
but it is only to collect new strength, which she will by and by em- 
ploy for the good of the world. But even this repose which nature 
enjoys in winter, is a secret activity which silently prepares a new 
creation. Already the necessary dispositions are made, that the 
earth, at the close of a few months, may find the children she has 
lost. Now the corn begins to bud, which by and by shall become 
our nourishment ; now the fibres of plants begin to be insensibly de- 
veloped, which shall shortly adorn our gardens and our meadows. 

Here also, O beneficent Creator, I adore thy power and wisdom ! 
The repose of nature is not less interesting to us, nor less worthy of 
entering into the plan of thy divine providence, than the activity 
which she manifests during the spring and summer seasons. Thou 
hast combined the different revolutions of the earth ; thou hast estab- 
lished the most intimate relation between them ; and, with an equal 
hand, hast distributed labour and rest. It is thou who hast willed 
that each sun should vary the seasons of nature, in such times and 
ways as should be most proper for the perfection of the whole. If I 
have been so foolish as to blame any thing in the government pf the 
world, pardon, O God, my temerity ! 1 see, and am more and more 
persuaded, that all the arrangements of thy providence, how contra- 
dictory soever they may appear to my feeble reason, are full of wis- 
dom and goodness. Now, that I behold the earth covered with a 



JANUARY XVII. 43 



Nature's rest during winter. 



mantle of snow which cools it, I wish to meditate on the good which 
shall result from it: for, could I promise myself either flowers or 
fruits, if nature did not enjoy some interval of repose ? Could I ex- 
pect to sing the harvest hymn, if now, under the snow, and under 
the ice, thou wert not providing for the fertility of the seed ? Yes, 
Lord, it is thou, who, in granting repose to the earth, enrichest man 
with a thousand blessings. 

And to me also, O my Father, the time of rest will come. A time 
in which I shall rest from my labours, cares, and tribulations. In 
wisdom thou hast dispensed to me the time which I should employ for 
the good of my brethren. By and by the autumn will come : may 
I then resemble those fertile trees, which pour into our laps an abun- 
dance of fruit ! In the winter of my life, when my head is covered 
with white hairs, and I am full of days, may my rest be as honoura- 
ble and beneficial as that of nature in winter ! How happy should I 
be, if my contemporaries should say, in speaking of me, " That old 
man had formerly consecrated his best seasons to labours useful to 
mankind : his life has been active, social, and beneficent. Even now, 
the repose of his old age is not idle ; for, by his extensive experience, 
he contributes to the happiness of his family and his friends. At 
least, he is labouring for the world to come, whose inhabitant he shall 
quickly be." 

Nevertheless, the repose which I promise myself here below, is 
little else than a preparation for new labours. O how much shall I 
be delighted with that which awaits me after the tomb, in the bosom 
of eternity ! There I shall taste a repose which shall never be inter- 
rupted. There the recollection of the labours and afflictions which 
I have surmounted here below, shall fill my heart with inexpressible 
joy. In the solid hope of this rest which remains for me, I desire to 
apply myself with zeal, to accomplish the duties to which I am call- 
ed ; and consecrate my talents and my strength to the glory of God, 
and the good of my fellow-creatures. Strengthen me by thy grace in 
this resolution, my God and my Saviour ■! 



JANUARY XVIII. 

THE LAPLANDERS. 

I WISH to begin this meditation with a lively sense of gratitude to 
my Creator, and pity towards that portion of my fellow-creatures, to 
whom nature seems to have distributed her bounty with a sparing 
hand. At present I shall fix my attention on the Laplanders, and 
those who dwell in the neighbourhood of the arctic circle : mortals, 
whose lot and mode of life are not the most happy, if compared to 
ours. Their country is formed of a range of mountains, covered 
with snow and ice, \vhich melt not even in summer : and where the 
chain of mountains is broken, vast sloughs and marshes are found. A 
deep snow also covers the vallies and hills : and winter is felt during 



44 JANUARY XVIII. 



The Laplanders. 



the greatest part of the year. The nights are long, and the days 
have but a feeble light. The inhabitants seek shelter from the cold 
in tents, which they can transport from place to place. In the cen- 
tre of these they have their fire-place, which they encompass with 
stones ; and the smoke escapes by an opening which serves the dou- 
ble purpose of chimney and window. From this place, chains of 
iron are suspended, on which they hang the pots in which they boil 
their victuals, and melt the ice which serves them for drink. The 
interior of their tents is lined with furs, w^hich keep out the wind : 
and they sleep on the skins of animals spread on the ground. In 
such habitations as these, they spend the winter. For six months of 
the year they have a perpetual night, during which, they only hear 
the whistling of the winds, and the roaring of wolves, who are howl- 
ing about on all sides for their prey. 

How could we endure the climate and mode of life of these peo- 
ple ? How much should we think ourselves to be pitied, had we no- 
thing before our eyes but an immense extent of ice, and of deserts, 
covered with snow, while the absence of the sun rendered the cold 
still more insupportable ? And if, instead of a commodious dwelling, 
we had nothing but a portable tent formed of skins stretched out upon 
poles ; if, to provide for our subsistence, we had no other resource 
than that of long and dangerous hunting ; and if, at the same time, 
we were deprived of the pleasures which the arts, and of the charms 
which social and commercial life procure us ? 

Should not these considerations cause us to fix our attention on the 
many prerogatives which are attached to our climate, to which, in 
general, we pay so little attention ? Should they not lead us to bless 
that Divine Providence, which has freed us from so many inconve- 
niencies and hardships ; and which has distinguished us with a thou- 
sand advantages ? Yes, we should bless that Divine Providence ; and 
when we feel the rigour of this season, we should give thanks to God 
that the cold is so moderate in the place where we dwell ; and that we 
have received so many means to preserve ourselves from it. Let us 
also bless the mighty Arbitrator of the universe, that, in the midst of 
that devastation, the image of which the winter presents us, he has 
given us the cheering prospect of the returning spring, the bare idea 
of which can comfort and support us in the present evil. 

But is the inhabitant of these northern climes so unhappy as we 
suppose him to be ? It is true, indeed, that he wanders painfully 
through vallies and uncleared ways ; and that he is exposed to the 
inclemency of the weather ; but his hardy body is capable of bear- 
ing this fatigue. The Laplander, it is true, is poor, and destitute of 
all the comforts of life ; but, on the other hand, is he not rich, as he 
feels no other wants than those which he can easily satisfy ? He is 
deprived, during several months, of the brightness of the sun; but to 
render his dark nights supportable, the moon and the Aurora Borealis 
shine bright on his horizon. Even the snow and ice, under which 
he is buried, do not render him miserable : for education and habit 
have armed him against the rigours of his climate. The hardy life 



JANUARY XVIII. 45 



The Laplanders. 



which he leads, has taught him to brave the cold ; and as to those 
particular helps which are indispensably necessary, nature has render- 
ed the use of them easy to him. She points out to him the animals 
whose fur is a safeguard against the asperity of the season : she has 
given him the rein-deer, which furnishes him at once with his tent, 
clothing, bed, meat, and drink ; with which he risks the longest jour- 
neys ; which, in a word, supplies almost all his necessities, and whose 
maintenance is scarcely any expense. 

If, in the midst of the miseries of their situation, these poor creatures 
had a more perfect acquaintance with God, such a knowledge as reve- 
lation has given us ; if, less savage and less indifferent, they knew 
how to derive from friendship those charms which embellish life ; if, 
I say, it were possible for them to unite these advantages with that 
tranquillity of mind which is their characteristic ; these miserable peo- 
ple, whose mode of life terrifies our depraved imagination, would not 
be so much to be pitied as we suppose. And if it be true, that the 
idea we form of felicity is more the business of opinion than of reason ; 
if it be true, that real happiness is not the exclusive privilege of certain 
people, and certain climates ; and that, with the mere necessaries of 
life, and peace of mind, a man may be happy in any corner of the 
world ; we have a right then to ask the question, What does a Laplan- 
der want to make him happy ? 



JANUARY XIX. 

THE WISE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR GLOBE. 

However limited the human mind may be ; however incapable 
of laying the ground-work, or of conceiving the entire plan which 
the Creator has executed in forming our globe ; we may, notwith- 
standing, through the medium of our senses, and by making a proper 
use of that reason with which we are endued, discover enough to lead 
us to acknowledge and admire the divine wisdom. To be convinced 
of this, we have only to reflect on the form of the earth. It is well 
known, that it resembles a ball : and why has the Creator chosen this 
form ? To the end that every point of its surface might be inhabited. 
This end could not have been attained, had not the inhabitants of the 
earth found every where a sufficient degree of light and heat ; if the 
water could not have diffused itself every where ; and if the wind 
could not have blown in all directions, without any material obstacle. 
The earth could not have had a more proper figure to secure these 
advantages, than that which it has. Because of its globular form, 
light and heat, those two things so necessary to life, are easily distri- 
buted over the earth. Had it not had this form, the revolution of day 
and night, the changes in the temperature of the air, cold and heaf, 
dryness and moisture, could not have taken place. If the earth had 
been square, conical, hexagonal, or in any other angular form ; what 
would have been the result ? Why, one part, and that the greatest, 



46 JANUARY XIX. 



Construction of our globe. 



must have been drowned, while the other languished in drought. 
Some countries must have been deprived of that salutary agitation 
which the winds produce ; whilst others would be reduced to desola- 
tion by perpetual tempests. 

If we consider the immense bulk of our globe, we shall have fresh 
reason to admire the supreme wisdom. If the earth were more soft 
or spongy than it is, men and other animals must have been buried in 
it. If it were harder, more compact, and less penetrable, it could 
not be tilled ; nor would it be capable of producing and nourishing 
that multitude of plants, herbs, roots, and flowers, which are now fos- 
tered in its bosom. Our globe is formed of distinct and regular beds : 
some of different kinds of stones, others of different metals and mine- 
rals. The numerous advantages which result from this, especially to 
mankind, are evident to every person. Whence could come that fresh 
water, so necessary to the wants of life, if it had not been purified and 
filtered through the beds of sand which are discoverable at a great 
depth in the earth ? The surface of our globe presents a variegated 
aspect, an admirable assemblage of plains and vallies, of hills and 
mountains. From this we may clearly perceive the wise designs 
which the Author of nature has formed in thus diversifying the sur- 
face of the earth* How much of its beauty would the earth have lost, 
had it been one uniform plain ! Besides, how much more favourable 
to the health of animals is this variety of mountains and vallies ; how 
much more convenient for the habitation of different species of birds 
and beasts ; and how much better calculated to produce all the varie- 
ties of plants and vegetables? If there had been no mountains, the 
earth would have been more thinly inhabited by men and animals ; 
we should have had fewer plants, fewer simples, fewer trees ; and we 
should have been totally deprived of metals and minerals; vapours 
could not be condensed, and we could neither have fountains nor rivers. 

Who cannot but acknowledge, that the whole plan of the earth, its 
figure, its external and internal construction, all are regulated by the 
wisest laws, and conspire to promote the comfort and happiness of the 
animal creation ? Supreme Author of nature ! thou hast ordered 
every thing in the earth with wisdom. Whithersoever I turn my eyes, 
whether I examine the surface, or penetrate the interior structure of 
that globe on which thou hast fixed my abode, I discover every where 
the impress of the most profound wisdom, and of a goodness without 
bounds. How beautiful is this dwelling place. How well suited to 
the necessities of the creatures which reside in it ! Nevertheless, I 
shall dwell in it but a short time, and can discover but a small part 
of it : but how shall I exult at the thought of that new earth, of which 
I shall one day be an inhabitant ! There I shall be able more success- 
fully to contemplate the marvellous works of my Creator ! And, how 
great shall be the beauty, how great the treasures, of that new habita- 
tion, seeing this, on which I am only destined to sojourn for a little, is 
so fall of pleasures, so rich in blessings ! 



JANUARY XX. 47 



Meditations on tlie works of God. 



JANUARY XX. 

SHORT MEDITATIOKS ON THE WORKS OF GOD, TAKEN CHIEFLY FftOM TllE 
SACRED WRITINGS. 

Hearken to this, stand still, and consider the wonderful works of 
God ! Job, xxxvii. 14. 

Jehovah hath formed the earth by his power; he hath esta:blishexl 
the habitable world by his wisdom ; and hath stretched out the hea- 
vens by his understanding. Jer. x. 12. 

And God said, Let there be light; and there was light: and God 
saw the light, that it Was good : and God separated the light from the 
darkness, and he called the light Day, and the darkness he called 
Night. Gen. i. 3, 4, 5. 

Thou art the Lord who hast made the heavens, and the heaven of 
heavens, with all their hosts ; the earth, and all that is in it ; the seas, 
and all that is therein ; thou givest life to all things; and the hosts of 
heaven worship thee. Neh. ix. 6. 

O Lord my God, thou art marvellously great ; thou art clothed 
with honour and majesty ! Who coverest thyself with light, as with a 
garment ; who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain ; the Lord 
layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters : He maketh the 
clouds his chariot : He walketh upon the wings of the wind. He 
maketh the winds his messengers, and the lightnings his agents. He 
hath laid the foundations of the earth, so that they cannot be shaken. 
Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a garment ; the waters 
pass over the tops of the mountains. Psalm, civ. 1 — 7. 

He hath stretched out the heavens over the chaos, and hath hung 
the earth upon nothing : He bindeth up the waters in the clouds, that 
they may not all fall at once upon the earth. His power raise th the 
waves of the sea ; and his wisdom restraineth their fury. Job, xxvi. 
7, 8, 12. 

He raiseth the vapours, and assembleth them in clouds which drop 
down in rain upon the face of the earth. He is not less wonderful 
when he covers the heavens with thick clouds ; and when the thun- 
der and lightning proceed from his tabernacle. He spreadefh his 
lightnings over the clouds, where all the waters of the sea seem to be 
heaped together. Thence-, as from his throne, he at one time exer- 
ciseth judgment over the nations; and at another, scattereth abun- 
dance over the earth with a liberal hand. Job, xxxvi. 27, &c. 

The thunder rumbles, and the stroke is already struck ere We se6 
the lightning ; thus the strong God announceth his wonders, and doth 
great things which we cannot comprehend. When he saith to the 
rain of winter. Fall down upon the earth ; it inundates the fields. 
Tempests come from the south, vailed with thick clouds ; and cold 
is brought to us by the north winds. By the breath of the mighty 
God ice is produced ; and the waters, which were spread on all sides, 
are held in chains. He causeth the most clear and serene sky to sue- 



^8 JANUARY XX. 



Meditations on the works of God. 



ceed to that which was most obscured ; and his light takes place on 
the clouds. He who holds the reins of the world, collects these me- 
teors, that they may fulfil the task which he hath appointed them on 
the face of the earth; whether he intends that they should punish 
men, or manifest the effects of his bounty. Job^ xxxvii. 5, &c. 

God is most wise, and most mighty : who hath opposed him without 
bearing the punishment of his temerity ? He snatched up the moun- 
tains, and overturneth them with the breath of his nostrils. He 
causeth the earth to tremble from its foundations, insomuch that its 
pillars are shaken. He forbiddeth the sun to arise, and that luminary 
showeth not itself: and he sealeth up the stars. Hespreadeth out the 
heavens alone, and walketh upon the waves of the sea. He hath 
formed the pole star, the constellations which bring the hoarfrost, 
those which produce heat, and those which are always hidden in the 
opposite hemisphere. He doth great things, past finding out; and 
wonders without number. Job, ix. 4, &c. 

Thou hast opened the fountain and the torrent ; thou hast dried up 
mighty rivers. The day is thine, and the night also is thine : thou 
hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast fixed the limits of 
the earth ; thou hast regulated the summer and the winter vseasons ! 
Psahuj Ixxiv. 15, &c. 

He raiseth up the east wind in the air; and he bringeth forth the 
south wind by his power. Psalm, Ixxviii. 26. 

He watereth the mountains from that great collection of waters 
which he holds suspended over our heads ; and he filleth the earth 
with the fruits which he causeth it to produce. He causeth provender 
to spring up for the cattle ; and raiseth up corn for the service of man ; 
thus making bread to proceed from the earth. Psalm, civ. 13, 14. 

He giveth to the beasts their proper food; and to the young ravens 
that which they demand by their cry. All the animals turn their 
eyes towards thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. 
Psalm, cxlvi. 9, cxlv. 16. 

Thus saith the Lord, thy Eedeemer, and he who hath formed thee, 
I am Jehovah, who have made all things, who have stretched out the 
heavens alone, and spread abroad the earth by myself. Isaiah, xliv. 24. 

For, thus saith the Lord, who hath created'the heavens, God himself, 
who formed the earth, and made and established it : He hath not cre- 
ated it that it should be empty ; but he formed it that it might be 
inhabited, I am Jehovah, and there is none other. Isaiah, xlv. 18. 

Remember the former things, which have been of old ; I am the 
strong God, and there is none else ; there is nothing like unto me ; I 
form light, and create darkness ; I give peace, and create adversity; 
I am Jehovah, who hath made the universe. Isaiah^ Ixvi. 9, xlv. 7. 



JANUARY XXI. 49 



Wonders of the human voice. 



JANUARY XXX. 

THE WONDERS OF THE HUMAN VOICE. 

The human voice is one of the master-pieces of the Creator's 
work. Whether it be considered in its principle, its variations, or 
its organs, it is impossible to fathom its admirable mechanism. Let 
us endeavour at present to reflect on it in silence. What is it that 
enables us to emit sounds ? This property belongs to the windpipe ; 
the little opening which is found in it causes a sound, when the air 
which we breathe is driven smartly through it. The windpipe is 
composed of annular cartilages, which are fastened together by an 
elastic membrane. At its entrance, there is a small covering, or valve, 
which gives passage to the air when it goes out of its canal. It 
opens itself, less or more, to modify or multiply the tones of the 
voice ; and when we swallow any thing, it shuts dov/n to hinder the 
food (which must go over it into the stomach) from entering the 
windpipe. Experience has taught us, that there are twelve full tones 
in the human voice. To produce this variety, it was necessary the 
windpipe should be divided into twelve equal parts : and as its two 
sides, when it is stretched, are distant from each other about the 
tenth part of an inch, we may thence calculate, that each tone of the 
voice may be subdivided into one hundred others ; and that a man 
may produce 2400 different tones of the voice, which may all be dis- 
tinguished by the ear. 

Nevertheless, with respect to these properties, which are very 
surprising, we have very few advantages over other animals. But 
the prerogative of man consists in this, that he can compress the air, 
and modify his voice, so as to pronounce letters and words. The 
palate, the teeth, and the lips, contribute their part to this operation. 
Let us consider the manner in which we pronounce the five vowels, 
which have each but a simple sound. When we pronounce the let- 
ter A, the sound is quite different from that of the letters e, i, o, u, 
though each be pronounced on the same key. The reason of this 
difference is among the number of the impenetrable mysteries of 
nature. In order to pronounce these vowels, the mouth must be less 
or more opened ; on this account, man is formed differently from all 
other animals. Even some birds, which learn to imitate the human 
voice, are never able to pronounce the five vowels distinctly. Hence 
this imitation is very imperfect. As to the pronunciation of the con- 
sonants, three of our organs principally contribute to it ; the lips, the 
tongue, and the palate. The nose also contributes to this : let a man 
stop it, and he shall find that there are certain letters which he can- 
not pronounce, except in a very imperfect manner. One thing which 
sufficiently proves that the organization which renders us capable of 
pronouncing words, and is infinitely marvellous, is, that human art 
has not been able to imitate it by any machine. It is true, we have 
imitated singing; but not the articulation of sounds, arid the pronunci- 

7 



50 JANUARY XXL 



Wonders of the human voice. 



ation of different vowels. In several of those instruments termed 
organs, there is an air called the human voice : but it produces no 
other sounds than those which resemble the dipthongs ai, or ae. 
And all the efforts of our art have not been able to imitate one of 
those words which we so easily pronounce. 

Let these considerations excite us anew to reflect on, and celebrate, 
the ineffable wisdom and great goodness which God manifests in the 
construction of every part of our body. And may these reflections 
lead us to estimate properly the worth of speech, by which we are so 
advantageously distinguished from other animals ! How gloomy would 
human society be, and how diminished would the comfort be which we 
derive from it, if we had not the faculty of communicating our thoughts 
by speech ; and if we could not unburthen our hearts in the bosom 
of a friend ! How deplorable would our lot be, if we were in the 
number of those unfortunate persons, Avho, from their infancy, have 
been deprived of the use of speech ! Are there not several of these 
unhappy people among us ? Let us learn from them, as often as we 
see them, to esteem our happiness ; and to render thanks to the Lord, 
that, among the multitude of benefits with which he has blessed us, 
we have the gift of speech. Let us make a salutary use of it ; let us 
employ it to glorify the Supreme Being ; and to edify, comfort, and 
instruct our brethren. 



JANUARY XXII. 

THE DUTY OF SELF-EDIFICATION IN WINTER. 

I ADDRESS myself to you who seek, with a laudable solicitude, to 
get edification from every occurrence. I wish to recal to your me- 
mory the obligation you are under to employ even the winter in this 
way, to the end that its days may prove times of happiness to your 
souls. And I wish to show you how pleasing and advantagjeous the 
practice of this duty may be to you. 

How much would your piety be strengthened, if, at each change, 
each new aspect of nature, you would endeavour to mount up to that 
God whose glory is manifested in winter, as well as in other seasons ! 
If yon see the earth covered with snow, the rivers frozen up, the trees 
stript of their leaves, and all nature empty and barren, think on the 
reasons which induce the Creator to suffer it to be so. With a little 
attention, you will at least discover, that all is regulated by wisdom ; 
and that all the laws of Providence tend to the general good of the 
creation. And if, because of your limited understanding, you can only 
comprehend a small part of the designs of God, it will be sufficient 
to show you, that the snow and the ice, and all the phenomena which 
the winter presents, concur in the plan of the Supreme Wisdom, to 
fertilize the earth, and to prepare it for the comfort of those who dwell 
thereon. 



JANUARY XXII. 51 



The duty of self edification in winter. 



You will meet with innumerable objects which will give you room 
to make edifying reflections. You see in how short a time the snow 
is dissipated, and the ice melted; and with what rapidity the days 
pass away ! Is not all this proper to cause us to remember the frailty 
of life ? You dwell in a warm chamber, and you have every thing 
that is necessary for your comfort ; should not these various comforts 
cause you to think on your poor brethren, who are destitute of fuel, 
clothing, and bread ? You observe how short the space is between 
day and night ; should not that naturally lead you to meditate on the 
shortness of life, and give you to feel how necessary it is for you ta 
redeem the time, and to profit by every hour you enjoy ? You see 
with what imprudence many persons expose themselves upon the 
ice ; does not this represent to you the carelessness and levity of 
those mortals who abandon their souls to the pleasures of this life ? 
and how many other objects, in this season, may furnish you with mat- 
ter for similar reflections, which may have a salutary effect on the 
mind ? And if you seek not only to occupy your understanding, but 
to mend your heart, each of these objects may answer the end. And 
each good thought, each pious resolution, each pleasing image, which 
these objects have awakened in your soul, will be to yoti a subject of 
thanksgiving. 

" Imitate the bee ; follow thy taste, and choose the most beautiful 
flower: to the pious soul, the most barren field is rich in sweets."^ 
I can promise you the greatest advantages in such a use of your 
time. By this, your heart will learn to govern its distractions, and 
to triumph over its sensuality. You will not need to have recourse 
to turbulent pleasures, to deliver you from the martyrdom of weari- 
ness. When others go to seek diversion in plays, feasts, and wotdly 
shows; you will find, in contemplating the works of God, whether 
in solitude, or in the chosen circle of pious friends, more noble and 
durable delight. Nothing can produce a more durable and exalted 
pleasure, than to lift up your head above worldly objects ; and t6 
imitate that which constitutes the occupation of angels, and the spirits 
of just men, in the kingdom of God. What ecstatic joy, to be abi6 
to find God every where ! To discover, in the flake of snow, as well 
as in the flower of spring ; in the cold of winter, as well as in the 
heat of summer, the goodness and wisdom of the Almighty Creator. 
And this joy, which a thousand, thousand times surpasses all terres- 
trial pleasures, thou shalt experience, if thou endeavour habitually 
to edify thyself by every occurrence. 

O Divine Spirit, may thy powerful influence come to the assistance 
of my feeble heart ! I wish to raise myself up wholly to thee : but 
thou knowest the world often holds me in chains, and prevents my 
soul from soaring up to heaven. Deliver me from the bonds which 
attach me to vain honours and empty pleasures I And may my soul 
arise more and more towards thee f How edifying shall my death one 



A German tetrastic. 



52 JANUARY XXIL 



The duty of self-edification in winter. 



day be, if my life shall have been employed in so pious and exem- 
plary a manner ! O what reason shall I have to triumph in thee, 
when, raised to thy celestial abode, I may increase eternally in know- 
ledge, by the contemplation of thy marvellous works ; discover and 
admire thy wisdom, no longer attracted by little objects ; and derive, 
from the meditation of the most sublime things, new motives to exalt 
and glorify thy holy name ! 



JANUARY XXIII. 

THE FEAR OF APPARITIONS. 

The long winter nights are terrific to many persons ; because they 
are then tormented, with the ridiculous apprehensions of spectres. 
This superstitious fear was more excusable in the time of our ances- 
tors ; because people had not, at that time, a clear idea of the nature 
of spirits ; and religion was brought in to favour this superstition. 
But we may well be astonished, that in an age so enlightened as ours, 
such ideas, and such fears, should have place. However, this shows 
how ingenious man is to forge monsters to torment himself. It is not 
enough that real evils afflict us from time to time ; but we create 
imaginary evils, and become miserable because we believe we are so. 
How wretched is the miser, through his fear of thieves ; the mi- 
santhrope, through his distrust of all around him ; and the discon- 
tented person, through the inquietudes which he feels concerning the 
future ! From these things let us learn to know the nature of the hu- 
man heart ; and the necessity of watching over our own imagination. 
If our imagination deceive us during the night, in presenting terrific 
phantoms to our view ; it oftener produces these illusions by day, in 
representing vice under attracting images. How happy would it be, 
were we all ready to fly from all solicitations to sin, as we are to fly 
from an apparition ! But in the first case, man is bold and rash ; in 
the latter, timid and faint-hearted. 

But whence comes this chimerical fear which seizes on so many 
persons, whom more terrifying circumstances would leave secure and 
unmoved ? The fear of only one person returning from the dead, 
causes us to start ; while the certainty of being one day transported 
to the world of incorporeal beings, makes no impression on our minds. 
Besides, although at every step we know that we approach the pre- 
sence of the Infinite and Eternal Spirit, we feel no sensation of fear 
on this head. If a dead man should appear to us at midnight, and 
declare that we should shortly go and join him ; the most intrepid 
man would be frozen with terror ; would make serious reflections on 
the event, and expect the issue with great uneasiness. But why are 
we so inattentive to the voice of our Maker, which incessantly *^cries 
to us, Prepare to meet thy God ! How foolish are we, to continue in 
security, while it would be wise to fear ; and to groan, when there is 
nothing to be dreaded ! 



JANUARY XXIII. 53 



The fear of apparitions. 



My soul, abandon not thyself to vain nocturnal terrors ; but fear 

that Supreme Being, whose coming shall appal the heart of the most 
intrepid hero, so that, in his anguish, he will call upon the mountains 
to fall upon him, and to the hills to cover him. Above all thing?, 
fear to offend God ; dread the wrath of the Holy One of Israel : then 
thou mayest banish every other fear, and cry out, with David, The 
Lord is my light, ivhom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my 
heart, of whom should I be afraid ? 



JANUARY XXIV. 

SUBTERRANEOUS FIRES. 

In digging a little downward in the earth, we find a greater degree 
of cold than at the surface ; because the surface is penetrated by the 
rays of the sun. Hence it is, that the inhabitants of warm countries 
may preserve ice through the whole year to cool their drink. But, 
if we dig down 50 or 60 feet lower, we find the heat sensibly to in- 
crease ; and if we descend to a much greater depth, the heat becomes 
so great as to stop respiration, and extinguish the wick of a lamp. It 
is not easy to determine the cause of this heat. Those who maintain 
that it proceeds from subterraneous fire, come, probably, nearest to 
the truth. But, how can this fire burn, which is so closely shut 
up ? What is the fuel that supports it? How is it kept from consu- 
ming every thing about it ? These are questions which cannot be 
easily answered. 

There are phenomena on our globe that strongly prove ihe exist- 
ence of subterraneous fires. Terrible eruptions of inflammable mat- 
ter, take place from time to time. The two best knoT^m mountains 
which produce these are, Etna, in Sicily, and Vesumus, in the kingdom 
of Naples : the accounts whicli are given of these two volcanoes, are 
terrible. Sometimes a black vapour only is seen to issue out; at 
other times, a hollow bellowing is heard : these are immediately fol- 
lowed with thunder and lightning, accompanied with an earthquake. 
Then the vapour brightens, and becomes luminous ; stones are eject- 
ed with a great noise, and fall back again into the gulf, whence they 
were vomited. Sometimes these eruptions are so violent, that great 
pieces of rocks are darted up into the air, and turn there with the 
rapidity of a foot-ball ; and the force by which they are ejected is so 
great, that in the last centur}', pieces of rocks 300 pounds weight, 
were thrown up into the air, and fell at the distance of three miles I 

However, even these eruptions are not the most dangerous ; for 
at certain times, the vitrified entrails of the earth boil up, and rise, so 
that their formidable scum is poured out, and runs for miles over the 
adjacent fields, and overwhelms every thing that it meets with in its 
passage. This torrent of fire endures for some days ; and one wave 
rolls after another, till they have reached the sea ; and even here its 



54 JANUARY XXIV. 



Subterraneous fires. 



violence is such, that it continues to run on for some time, without 
being quenched in the waters of the ocean ! Who can .think without 
terror, on the devastations occasioned by such eruptions ! Towns and 
villages, with their fertile plantations, are entirely swallowed up ; the 
crops are consumed ; and the fields, olives, and vines, entirely de- 
stroyed. In one eruption of Etna, we are informed that the torrent 
of burning lava buried fourteen towns and cities, and thg,t the rum- 
bling of the mountain was heard at twenty miles distance. 

But of what use are these volcanoes, which scatter so much terror 
and devastation over the earth ? Why has the Lord created them ? 
Whence does it come, that instead of bridling their fury, he permits 
them thus to destroy his creatures ? But, what am I, who dare to 
ask such questions? Have J a right to call Supreme Wisdom to an 
account for the arrangement it has made ? The existence of these 
volcanoes, however, cannot have been the work of chance; and I 
ojjght to conclude from this, that the Creator has had the wisest rea- 
sons for willing the existen^ie of such upon the earth. Further, even 
here, I again find the beneficent hand which provides for the welfare 
of this world. 

Whatever ravages the eruptions of these mountains cause, they are 
nothing in comparison of the advantages which they procure to the 
earth in general. The inward parts of the earth being filled with 
fire, volcanoes are indispensably necessary : they are the air-vents, 
by means of which the action of this formidable element is interrupt- 
ed and weakened. And although the countries where these subter- 
raneous fires are found in greatest numbers, be subject to earth- 
quakes, they would suffer more violent ones, if these mountains did 
not exist. Italy would not be the most fertile of countries, if the 
fire, which has its storehouse in the bowels of the earth, did not, from 
time to time, issue out at these volcanoes. And after all, who knows 
but various other advantages, hidden from our eyes, may result from 
these frightful phenomena, the influence of which may extend over 
the whole globe. At least, this suffices to convince ine, that they 
concur to accomplish the wise and beneficent designs of our Divine 
Author. And if there be found here matters which are obscure and 
inscrutable, let us put our hand upon our mouth, and say. Lord, thy 
jV-dgments are just and true ; and thy ways impossible to be found out. 
O God of majesty, who dost such terrible things upon the earth, yvho 
Wo^l4 not fear Thee ! 



JANUARY XXV. 

OF COMETS. 

That extraordinary star, which borrows its name from the vapour 
by which it is surrounded, is, certainly, one of the heavenly bodies 
which appertain to our system. It has its revolution round the sun, 



JANUARY XXV. 55 



Of Comets. 



as well as our planets : but it differs from all the rest by its peculiar 
motion, its orbit, and its figure. Seen through a telescope, it appears 
full of spots and inequalities ; but often the thick vapour which sur- 
rounds it prevents it from being distinctly perceived. The magnitude 
of comets is subject to many variations- Some scarcely equal stars of 
the third or fourth magnitude ; while others surpass those of the first. 
In the centre of this appearance we discover a very thick nucleus, Avhich 
sometimes divides, and then resembles the edge of the disk. Its figure 
is not alwayfs perfectly round ; nor has its light always the same de- 
gree of brightness and strength. Its tail is always in an opposite 
direction to the sun, and is so thin and transparent, that we can 
see the fixed stars through it. This tail sometimes extends from the 
horizon to the zenith, and gives to the whole of this body an awful 
aspect. The further the tail extends from the comet, the broader it 
grows. Sometimes it divides its tail into different reflections and 
rays. 

What we have said, is a part of the result of those exact observa- 
tions made by astronomers. But, doubtless, it is the least important 
part of what we should know, in order to acquire a perfect under- 
standing of all things relative to these celestial bodies, many of which 
are out of the reach of our sight. Is a comet an aqueous planet, or 
a burning globe ? This cannot be certainly determined : nor can a 
satisfactory answer be given to the following questions : Can such a 
globe be inhabited, which sometimes, in the vicinity of the sun, ex- 
periences so much heat ; and at other times, passing far beyond the 
orbits of the other planets, is immersed in the thickest darkness, 
where, probably, even the rays of the sun have no influence ? Has 
the Judge of the earth destined such for the chastisement of his crea- 
tures ? Are their gross surface (exposed, at different times, to violent 
degrees of heat and cold) the abode of disobedient beings, whom God 
has consigned to punishment ? Shall these erratic bodies become one 
day the cause of turning the planets from their orbits, and thus effect- 
ing their desti'uction ? Or, are they still deserts, without form and 
void, as the earth was before the Creator rendered it habitable and 
fruitful ? And shall not these comets accomplish their destination till 
the earth be no more ? And as it is utterly impossible for us to solve 
these questions, we should be convinced, that human knowledge is 
very limited. 

Men often lose sight of this truth. Were it present to their hearts, 
the appearance of a comet would not beget in their minds such a 
multitude of vain conjectures, which so ill accord with our limited 
understanding. Many consider a comet as the forerunner of Heaven's 
judgments. Some read in it the destiny of nations, and the fall 
of empires. To others, it is a presage of wars, plagues, inundations ; 
in a word, of the most formidable scourges. These superstitious 
persons do not consider, that a comet is a natural body, the return of 
which can be calculated with certainty, and which, consequently, cannot 
disturb the order of things. They do not consider that this body, as 



56 JANUARY XXV. 



Of comets. 



well as the other planets, must have a more important destination than 
that which superstition gives it. What I would the Supreme Wisdom 
have placed such prodigious bodies in the heavens merely to announce 
to a few creatures the fate which awaits them ? 

May the comet, after having travelled over the immense distance 
which hides it from our sight, be to me, on its return, not a messen- 
ger of misery, but a herald of the majesty of the Most High ! I wish 
to adore that Supreme Being, who has prescribed to its course, who 
has conducted it through the immeasurable depths of ether, and who 
has ordered it sometimes to approach the sun, and at others to with- 
draw from it to the utmost limits of the planetary system. As often as 
it shall blaze above my head, may my soul, by an effort of piety, 
spring upward towards that Being who is the Arbiter and Sovereign of 
worlds ! May I dwell on that sublime thought, that, by and by, I shall 
rank in the number of the inhabitants of that eternal abode, where, 
traversing the immense expanse of heaven, I shall discover millions 
of new worlds, without the assistance of telescopes ! 



JANUARY XXVI. 

THE FORMATION OF SNOW. 

On seeing the title of this meditation, some of my readers may be 
ready to exclaim, is it worth while to examine so common a pheno- 
menon of nature ? However, my design is to fix their attention on this 
wonder, and to show them, in the formation of snow, a spectacle which 
has charms sufficient to delight a mind that is fond of reflection. 

Snow consists of watery particles frozen in the air : frozen water 
becomes ice ; and snow only differs from ice in this, that the water 
which constitutes ice has been frozen when in its ordinary density; 
and the water which forms snow has been frozen when its particles 
were separated, and reduced to the state of vapour. Experiments 
have been made, which prove that snow is twenty-four times more 
rare than water ; and that it occupies ten or twelve times more space 
the moment that it falls, than the water does to which it is reduced 
when melted, which could not take place, were not snow water ex- 
tremely rarefied. But snow is not water simply ; for the structure of 
its parts, and the effects which it produces, are different from those 
of water and ice. And, in this respect, the manner in which snow is 
formed has something very remarkable in it. WTien the particles 
of the vapour assembled in the atmosphere freeze, the nitre, which 
is every where dispersed through the air, unites itself to them in the 
form of hexagonal darts. While a great number of similar little darts 
meet together, the particles of water which were between them harden, 
and assume the form of the nitre. Hence those six-sided flakes, which 
are composed of points like fine small needles, to each side of which, 
darts, or filaments still smaller, attach themsekes, the form of which 
often changes by being carried hither and thither by the wind. 



JANUARY XXVI. 57 



The formation of snow. 



How wonderful would these flakes of snow appear to us, if we 
were not accustomed to see them every year ! But should we 
neglect to attend certain wonders, for this simple reason, that they are 
frequently reproduced ? No ; let us be so much the more diligent to 
examine and admire the wisdom of God in them ; who, in every sea- 
son, shows himself so rich and inexhaustible in the means which he 
uses to provide for the wants and comforts of mortals. 

Has any one reason to complain that the winter does not afford a 
variety of recreations, both for the senses, and for the understanding ? 
Is it not an astonishing sight, to see how nature has formed these flakes 
of snow with the most exact symmetry ? To see them fall from the air 
in such prodigious numbers, and to observe the different forms which 
water assumes under the creating hand of God ? Sometimes it forms 
itself into hail, sometimes it hardens itself into ice, and sometimes into 
hoarfrost, and snow-flakes innumerable ! All these changes tend at 
once to the use and embellishment of the earth, and prove that God 
shows himself great, and worthy of our adoration, in the smallest phe- 
nomena of nature. 

Let us no longer regard the snow with an indifferent eye : its 
formation, and the advantages which result from it, should lead us to 
thee, O Lord, who hast produced it, and scattered it over the face of 
the earth. "To thee, O God, who lovest all nature, who sendest 
forth thy snow like wool ; who scatterest thy hoarfrost like ashes ; 
and who commandest thy cold to bless and fertilize the earth, to thee 
be rendered praise, honour, and glory, for ever ! Amen. 



JANUARY XXVII. 

THE RAPIDITY WITH WHICH HUMAN LIFE PASSES AWAY. 

Our life is brittle and transitory. This is an incontestable proposi- 
tion; although, to judge by the conduct of man, we should not think 
it was found in the number of received truths. I call the reader to 
his own experience : should not every step you have taken in the 
course of your life, from your birth to the present moment, have con- 
vinced you of its transitory nature. 

Only consider, with what swiftness the da.js, weeks, months, and 
years, have passed, or rather flown away ! They were past and gone, 
before you had time to perceive them. Endeavour to recal them to 
your memory, and to follow them in their rapid flights Is it possi- 
ble for you to detail all their epochs ? And if there had not been 
certain remarkable moments in your life, which are engraven on your 
memory, you could not have recollected the history of them. How 
many years of your infancy have been consecrated to childish amuse- 
ments, and of which you can say nothing more than, they are passed 
away ! How many others have glided away in the carelessness of youth, 
during which, led astray by your passions, and given up to pleasure, 

8 



58 JANUARY XXVII. 



The rapidity with which human hfe passes away. 



you had neither will nor power to reflect upon yourself ? To these 
years have succeeded those of riper age, in which you were more 
susceptible of reflection. You thought then, that it was time to change 
your course of life, and to act as a reasonable being ; but the affairs of 
life occupied you to such a degree, that they left you no leisure to 
reflect on your past years. Your family increased ; and your cares' 
and efforts to provide for their wants were accumulated in proportion. 
Old age insensibly steals on ; and, perhaps, then you will neither feel 
leisure nor power to recal the past, to reflect on the term at which you 
have arrived ; and on that which you have done, or neglected to do : 
in a word, to consider seriously the end for which God has placed you 
in this world. But who has promised that you shall attain to this 
advanced age ? A thousand accidents may break the brittle thread of 
life before it has attained its average length. The infant, who is just 
born into the world, dies, and is reduced to dust : the young man who 
gave the most promising hopes, is cut down in the time of grace and 
beauty ; a violent disease, an unforeseen accident, has laid him in the 
tomb. Dangers and accidents multiply with time ; negligence and 
excess produce the germs of disease, and dispose the body to receive 
the attacks of those which are epidemic. The latter age is still more 
dangerous : in a word, one half of those which are born into the world 
are soon taken away from it, and perish within the short space of their 
first seventeen years. 

Behold, O man, an epitomized, but faithful, history of life ! O that 
you may employ it to acquire that wisdom by which you shall be able 
to number your days, those days which are so short and important ; 
and to redeem that time which flies away with so much rapidity ! 
Since you have begun to read, several minutes have elapsed : what 
a precious treasure of hours and days might you not amass, if, of that 
number of minutes which are yet at your disposal, you would often 
consecrate some to purposes so wise and useful ! Think seriously of 
this : every instant is a portion of life, which it is impossible to re- 
produce ; and the remembrance of which will be to you a source of 
joy or grief. 

What a celestial happiness, to be able to reflect on the past, and 
say to yourself, with truth, " I have lived so many years, during 
which I have been employed in sowing the seeds of holy works : I 
do not wish to begin my days afresh ,• and I regret not that they are 
passed away." You will be able to make use of this language, if you 
live for the accomplishment of that end for which life has been given 
to you ; if you consecrate your short space of time to the great inte- 
rests of eternity 



JANUARY XXVIII. 59 



Of that species of hoarfrost seen on windows. 



JANUARY XXVIII. 

OF THAT SPECIES OF HOARFROST SEEN ON WINDOWS. 

This little phenomenon shows us how much simplicity, variety, and 
order, nature puts in her smallest productions. We often admire the 
extraordinary figures which frozen glass presents to us ; but it seldom 
happens that we consider them with that attention which the subject 
requires, however unimportant it may appear in itself. This pheno- 
menon in question has its principle in the fluidity of fire. When it 
is shut up in the warm air of a chamber, it seeks to diffuse itself on 
all sides, and to penetrate where it finds matter the least homoge- 
neous to itself. Hence it is that it glides through the very close con- 
texture of glass, which contains neither air nor heat. In passing- 
through the glass, it leaves on the inside, and at the entrance of the 
apertures, those portions of air and water to which it was united ; it 
forms a cloud, which thickens as the fire passes out, till there 
remains too little in the chamber to hold the thick particles of water 
on the glass in a state of fluidity. Then they congeal, and the nitre 
which was in the air uniting with them, causes them to produce that 
diversity of appearance with which we see the windows covered. 

The commencement, or first sketch of these figures, is formed by 
very small filaments of ice, which insensibly unite, because the glass 
is covered with an icy crust. These filaments are the origin of all 
these figures ; but we may still distinctly discover the contexture of all 
the filaments. We at first see lines extremely fine, from which others 
still proceed, nearly resembling the filaments which grow from a 
quill, which in their turn produce other branches. When it freezes 
much, and the first crust of ice is thickened, the most beautiful 
flowers, and lines of all kinds, sometimes straight, sometimes spiral, 
are the result. There is reason to believe, that this great diversity 
of figures does not proceed merely from the motion of the air, and 
particles of fire, but also from the small imperceptible clefts or tracks 
which are in the glass. Whatever the reason of this phenomenon 
may be, it is certain that this sport of nature shows a great deal of 
art united with much simplicity. 

Probably the reader may find what is said on this subject too minute, 
as the subject itself is of no other worth than merely to divert the 
sight for a little. But such a subject as this, in my judgment, has 
great advantages over those which often engage our attention. With 
how rnany trifling subjects do we amuse ourselves, both in private 
and in company ! Certain phenomena of nature, which we treat as 
trifles, may be highly worth both speaking and meditating on. Such 
researches are very pleasing to a mind which is earnestly desirous to 
get information, even from the smallest objects. Let us lay aside 
prejudice, and those puerile ideas which we have formed of works of 
nature, and we shall think otherwise. We often see that master- 
pieces have been discovered where ignorance could perceive nothing 



60 JANUARY XVIIL 



Of thai species of hoarfrost seen on whidows. 



but trifles ; for nature manifests her wisdom even in the smallest 
works ; and it is in this respect that we distinguish her works always 
from those of art. 

Can an object be considered as little, when it furnishes matter for 
useful reflections ? For my own part, I do not disdain to read, even 
on the frozen glass, a truth which may have a great influence upon 
my happiness. Behold the flowers which the frost has portrayed on 
the glass ! they are beautifully and artificially varied ; nevertheless, 
one ray of noon-day sun eflaces them. Thus the imagination paints 
every thing beautiful to us ; but every thing which it represents as 
attractive, in the possession of the goods of this world, is but a beau- 
tiful image, which shall disappear in the light of reason. The impor- 
tance of this lesson of wisdom was worth the trouble of stopping for 
a while at the little phenomenon which furnishes it. 



JANUARY XXIX. 

THE UTILITY OF BREAD. 

Of all the aliments which our beneficent Creator has distributed to 
us with so much profusion, there is none so common or so nourishing 
as bread. It is as necessary at the table of the prince as at that of the 
labourer; and the invalid is strengthened by the use of it as well as 
the healthy. It seems particularly destined for the use of man ; for 
the plant which produces it will grow in different climates ; and it 
would be difficult to find a place in the habitable world where wheat 
would not grow and ripen, if cultivated with proper care. A very 
evident proof that man cannot dispense with the use of bread, is, that 
it is the only aliment of which we may continually eat without being- 
cloyed. All those far-fetched and costly viands, which luxury and 
pride have invented, soon cease to flatter our taste, if we use 
them too frequently : but we eat bread always with pleasure, and the 
old man, whose nourishment it has been for threescore and ten years, 
eats willingly of it still, when, to him, all other aliments have lost their 
savour. 

It is right, that while we make a daily use of this substance, we 
should bless that God who has given it. Choose, among the great 
number of aliments that which you prefer most : is there one more 
natural, more wholesome, more strengthening, and more nutritive, 
than bread ? The smell of the most precious aromatics is not so resto- 
rative as that of bread ; simple as it is, it contains particles essen- 
tially proper to form and repair the nervous fluid. What demon- 
strates its nutritive quality is, that, moistened with water, it quickly 
dissolves, and becomes a glutinous paste, and, consequently, the sto- 
mach can easily digest it. Let us consider here the concern which 
the Creator has evidenced for our health, in assigning us bread for 
food. Our best juices are liable to be corrupted : a nourishment, 



JANUARY XXIX, 61 



The utility of bread. 



therefore, that could resist this putrid tendency, was necessary ; and 
this quality is found in bread. As this aliment comes from the vege- 
table kingdom, and has a certain acidity in it, it is an excellent preser- 
vative against putrefaction. Another advantage is, that we can give 
bread whatever degree of consistence we please, so as to render it 
proper for the necessities of the stomach; or to keep any given 
length of time. I should be utterly unworthy to receive that bread 
which nourishes me daily, were I insensible of this benefit. Why 
should I not be grateful to this tender and beneficent Father, who 
causes bread to grow out of the earth, to nourish and support me ? 
Should I resemble the brute, enjoying the nourishment without think- 
ing of Him who gives it ? Shall I daily eat and be satisfied, and forget 
him who nourishes me ? No, my God : my grateful heart shall render 
thee those thanks which are due to thy name for this blessing. It is 
enough that during my infancy I have received my nourishment with- 
out being able to raise up my soul to thee : now that I know the hand 
that feeds me, I wish to bless it incessantly. 

But how can I better prove my gratitude, than in dividing this 
bread, which I so abundantly enjoy, with those who receive it in a 
more sparing way ? O, my Father hov/ many of thy children are not 
so comfortably provided for, though they may deserve it much better 
than I do ! They have scarcely bread, and are destitute of other means 
of providing for their subsistence. As for me, I have received all 
these advantages from thy hand, and I am ready to give a portion to 
my poor brethren, who have an equal right with me to thy benefits. 
I wish for power to relieve all ; I know but a small part of the dis- 
tressed, and I am not sufficiently rich to pour upon all these the gifts 
of beneficence. But thou knowest all the indigent, and thou canst 
and wilt satisfy those that cry unto thee in their distresses. I ask 
this from thee in their behalf; give them the bread which is neces- 
sary for their support, and with it give them peace and serenity o£ 
soul ! Let me also obtain these same gifts from thee ; then shall I be 
more happy with bread for food, and water for drink, than the rich 
epicures are in the use of the most delicious viands and most exqui- 
site wines. 



JANUARY XXX. 

OUR DUTY IN RESPECT TO SLEEP. 

An afflicting remark, which we are often obliged to make, is, that 
most people abandon themselves to sleep with an inconceivable care- 
lessness. Considering it only in respect to our bodies, the revolution 
which sleep produces in them should appear to us one of the most 
important. But if we consider it in other respects, and figure to 
ourselves what may take place during the repose of the night, it ap- 
pears to me that we should never venture to cast ourselves into tlie 



62 JANUARY XXX. 



Our duty in respect to sleep. 



arms of sleep, without taking the necessary precautions, and being, in 
certain respects, prepared for what may take place. It is not, indeed 
surprising that those who, during the day, are so inconsiderate and 
negligent^ should be equally so during the night : but as for us, we 
should endeavour to learn how we may best glorify God even in 
sleep, and discharge those duties which Christianity imposes on us. 

How thankful should men be to the Creator for the blessing of 
sleep ! Perhaps you have never known the full worth of it, because 
it has never refused to fulfil your wishes when you called it. But 
how often does it happen that sickness, discontent, fear, or old age, 
have deprived men of the sweets of sleep ! In these cases we learn, 
that sleep is one of the most pressing necessities of nature, and, at the 
same time, one of the most inestimable blessings of the Deity. But, 
will you,, in order to become instructed in this matter, wait till you 
have lost this benefit? No: while you enjoy the advantages Avhich 
sleep procures ; while, at the commencement of each night, it gives 
you to feel its salutary effects, never give up yourself to enjoy it 
without the most lively sense of gratitude to your heavenly Benefac- 
tor. And let this gratitude prevent you, on the one hand, from abusing 
sleep ; or, on the other, by an opposite excess, from not taking what 
is sufficient. We are always culpable when, through idleness or 
effeminacy, we prolong the hours destined for repose. Nature in 
this respect, as in all others, is contented with little : seven or eight 
hours of uninterrupted sleep are generally sufficient. But men are 
not less culpable, when through avarice, ambition, or any such mo-; 
tives, they abridge their sleep, and refuse that relaxation to nature 
which is necessary. In both cases, the established order of God is 
disturbed, and the gratitude which you owe to him for the blessing of 
sleep is wounded. 

Above all things endeavour to lie down with suitable dispositions. 
What would you do, if you were assured, that from the arms of sleep 
you should pass into the arms of death ? Would you not employ your 
last waking moments in preparing yourself for your change ; in exa- 
mining your life, and seeking in the blood of Jesus the remission of 
your offences ? And can you not, at the beginning of each night, see 
this to be a possible case ? In every night in winter, i. e. in the space 
of from 12 to 15 hours, there die at least 50,000 persons ! Who 
knows but your name may be written in the list of those who shall 
this night be removed from the earth ? Now i shall leave the deci- 
sion to your own heart : what would you wish to have done, if, in the 
midst of sleep, you were called to appear before the judgment-seat 
of Christ? 

" If, during this night, thou shouldst be called to appear before h-iiw, 
art thou ready ? — O God ! to whose eyes every thing is open, and 
from whom we can hide nothing, we daily feel the weakness af our 
nature ; we acknowledge our sins : pardon us, for the sake of Christ ; 
wash us from our sins in his blood; and, for his sake, enter not into 
judgment with us^I" 



JANUARY XXXI. 6.H 



Revolutions in nature. 



JANUARY XXXI. 

THE REVOLUTIONS WHICH ARE CONSTANTLY CARRIED ON IN NATURE. 

All the vicissitudes of nature are derived from those invariable laws 
which the Creator established when he drew the universe out o^ 
nothing. For 5000 years, at certain specified times, the return of the 
same revolutions, and the same effects, have been observed in the 
heavens and upon the earth. The sun, the moon, and the stars, con- 
tinue in that order which was first prescribed to them. But who has 
prescribed it, and who preserves and directs them in it ? Who has 
taught these bodies the path they are to go in, and who has pointed 
out to them the times of their revolutions ? Who has caused them to 
move always with the same degree of velocity ? Who hinders them 
from falling upon our globe, or from straying in the immense expanse 
of heaven ? In a word ; whence is it that their courses are never 
disturbed? All these questions necessarily lead us to God; it is he 
who has marked out the orbits in which they are to revolve ; it is he 
who supports, guides, and prevents them from making any irregular 
movement. By laws, which are to us unknown, he causes the celes- 
tial bodies to roll on with an inconceivable velocity, and in so perfect 
an order that nothing can disturb them. 

He produces continual revolutions in the elements much nearer to 
ourselves, though they are not visible to an ordinary capacity. The 
air is in perpetual motion whilst it turns round our globe : the water 
also pursues its course without interruption : the rivers fall into the 
sea, and from its extensive surface those vapours arise which form 
clouds. They fall down upon the earth in snow, hail, and rain ; 
they penetrate the bosom of the mountains, and feed the spring, 
whence those streams proceed, which being increased in their courses, 
become rivers. Thus the water which fell from the clouds, returns 
again into the sea. The seasons also endure a limited time, and suc- 
ceed each other in an established order. Every year the fruitful 
earth reproduces plants and crops ; nevertheless, she is never ex- 
hausted; for, because of the constant circulation which takes place 
between the nutritive particles, whatsoever she gives is restored to 
her again. Winter comes at the determined time, and leads her to 
the repose which she requires ; when winter has accomplished the 
designs of the Creator, he retires, and spring takes his place, and 
restores to the earth the children she had lost. The same circulation 
may be observed in the body of every living creature. The blood runs 
incessantly in the different canals, distributing to each member the 
nutritive juices necessary for it; and then it returns to the heart 
whence it proceeded. All these revolutions recal the idea of the Su- 
preme Being, who has established the foundations of them from the 
creation of the Avorld ; and who, by his power and wisdom, continues 
to direct them to the present moment. 



64 JANUARY XXXI. 



Revolutions in nature. 



These reflections are worthy our attention, and ought to be par- 
ticularly considered at the close of this month. Under the wise 
direction of Providence, all the revolutions v/hich have taken place 
in nature during the course of the month, have been produced in a 
way the most conformable to the designs of the Creator. Each day 
the sun has enlightened us, and, having accompHshed his appointed 
work, he yields the dominion to the night. Each day has the good- 
ness of God been renewed towards us, causing every revolution to 
contribute to our well-being. 

And now, this month, with all its days, all its hours, and all its mo- 
ments, is for ever passed away. It is impossible that it should ever 
appear to us in the same relation, were we to survive fifty winters. 
But, finally, all the wheels of the machine of the great system of the 
universe shall at last stand still. The circular motion of the globes 
shall cease, the springs of nature shall lose their elasticity, and days, 
months, and years, be swallowed up in eternity ! 

Then, O eternal, unchangeable, and infinite Being, thou shalt still 
exist ! and by thee alone the duration of my being shall be eter- 
nally measured ! Blessed be God, that each month which passes by, 
carries me nearer to that period when my everlasting felicity shall 
commence. 



FEBRUARY. 



FEBRUARY I. 

EVERY THING IN NATURE TENDS TO THE GOOD OF MANKIND. 

Be deeply sensible, O man, of the love and preference with which 
God has honoured thee, in distinguishing thee with so many advan- 
tages from other creatures ! Feel, as thou oughtest, the incompa- 
rable blessings of being peculiarly the object of the divine liberality ; 
of being, in some sense, the centre of whatsoever he has formed for 
the manifestation of his glorious attributes. 

It is for thee that all nature acts; for thee, she labours in the 
earth, in the air, and in the waters. For thee, the sheep is covered 
with wool; for thee, the horse's foot is armed with horn, of which 
he could not stand in need, v/ere he not destined to draw heavy loads, 
and to climb mountains. For thee, the silkworm spins her clue, 
shuts herself up in it, and afterward abandons to thee the web which 
she has so artificially woven. For thee, the gnat lays her eggs in the 
water, that they may become nourishment to crab, and other fish, 
which shall themselves become means of thy support. For thee, 
the bee gathers exquisite honey from the bosom of the flowers. For 
thee, the ox is yoked to the plough, and asks for the recompense of 



FEBRUARY I. 65 



Every thing in nature tends to the good of mankind. 



his labours only a slight nourishment. For thee, the forests, the 
fields, and the gardens, abound in riches ; the greater part of which 
must be lost, were they not to be used by thee ; as would also the 
greater part of the treasures shut up in the mountains. 

It is true thai thou hast, beyond comparison, more wants than other 
animals; but hast thou not also incomparably more faculties, talents, 
and industry, to make all that surrounds thee contribute to thy ser- 
vice and pleasure ? Thousands of creatures unite to nourish, clothe, 
and furnish thee with innumerable comforts and conveniencies. If 
God hath created thee with so many wants, it is certainly to procure 
thee the greatest variety of pleasing sensations. It would be impos- 
sible for thee to satisfy thy multiplied wants, if those of other ani 
mals were equal to thine. And to the end that thou mightest lack 
nothing, but have all things in abundance, what is necessary to them, 
is that of which man, in general, can make no use. 

But it is not thy food alone that God has provided with so much 
liberality; he has condescended to procure thee a thousand other 
pleasures. It is for thee, that the lark and the nightingale sing ; that 
the flowers perfume the air ; that the fields and the gardens are adorned 
with so many different hues. Above all, he has endued thee with 
reason, which gives thee power to make all things subservient to thy 
support and thy pleasure ; to rule over the animals, to take the 
whale and the lion ; and to do what is still more excellent, to delight 
thyself in the works which he has made ; to contemplate their beauty, 
grandeur, and magnificence; to admire their order, harmony, and 
wonderful connexion 

man ! so highly privileged and loaded with favours, how canst 
thou be sufficiently grateful to thy heavenly Benefactor ? What love 
canst thou feel to thy Creator, that can be in any wise equal to that 
which he has manifested to thee ? But, to inflame more and mote 
thy love and gratitude, reflect frequently on the boundless liberality 
of the Father of nature ; on the peculiar love with which he has 
honoured thee ; and on the innumerable benefits which thou hourly 
receivest from him. Often consider, that there is not a creature 
upon the earth so favoured ; a creature for whom God has made so 
many things, as for thee. Look round thee, and contemplate the 
wonderful magnificence of nature : ask the heavens, the earth, the 
sea, all the animals, all the plants ; in a word, all the beings which 
exist here below; and they will tell thee, that thou art that happy 
creature to whom all others are subservient, and for whom all 
around thee was made. Let thy soul then be penetrated with the 
most lively gratitude ; and with the most ardent love to thy glorious 
Benefactor : and let it be thy chief care, thy only ambition, to live 
to him who has given life and being to so many different creatures for 
thy sake. 

Such resolutions as these, thou oughtest to form in the beginning 
of this month. Each day will afford thee fresh occasion to acknow- 
ledge and celebrate . the paternal care of Providence, exercised in 



66 FEBRUARY I. 



. Every thing in nature tends to the good of mankind. 

behalf of thy life, maintenance, and comfort. Taste and relish the 
divine bounty in every morsel of bread afforded thee for thy sup- 
port, and in every glass of water granted thee to quench thy thirst, 
and to refresh thee. But especially, acknowledge the kindness of 
the Lord in those blessings which he reserves for thee in eternity. 
For thee, a;lso, Jesus Christ has designed that ineffable happiness 
which his faithful disciples shall enjoy around his throne. Happy 
spirits shall be thy companions and thy friends ; and thou shalt par- 
take with them of those glorious blessings which infinitely surpass 
all that is seen here below. " What is all the happiness of the pre- 
sent life, compared with that which awaits us in the habitation of the 
Almighty ! Even here, we continually experience the effects of his 
kindness ; and are encompassed with the wonders of his goodness : 
but on this earth, pleasure is continually intermingled with pain; 
perfect happiness is only to be found in the kingdom of God." 



FEBRUARY ll. 

THE INFLUENCE WHICH COLD HAS UPON HEALTH^ 

In these severe winter months, it is not unusual to hear great 
eulogiums on the other seasons of the year. Spring, summer, and 
autumn, whose worth is but little attended to when we enjoy their 
blessings, are rated even beyond measure, when we can no longer 
profit by their advantages. This is the general custom of men: 
while they possess certain blessings, they do not value them as they 
ought; and they only begin to know their worth when they are 
deprived of them. But is it true, that these three seasons exclu- 
sively deserve our attention and praise ? Is the winter really what 
it is often represented, the enemy of our pleasures and the destroyer 
of our health ? As this prejudice may have considerable influence 
upon our ease and contentment, it will be necessary to reflect impar- 
tially on the advantages of the present season, with respect to our 
health. 

Spring and autumn are very dangerous, becauise of the sudden alte- 
ration which takes place in the temperature of the air. In summer, 
the air is laden with putrid vapours ; or, at least, with such as have 
a tendency to become putrid. In this season, people are subject to 
colds, which occasion a multitude of painful, and oftentimes mortal 
diseases. Winter has not these inconveniencies. Cold favours insen- 
sible perspiration ; and by this means prevents a number of terrible 
disorders which owe their rise to its obstruction. By this gentle 
and moderate perspiration we feel ourselves more light and active ; 
the blood is purified, the appetite increases ;' so also do cheerfulness 
and serenity of mind. Besides, the cold braces and fortifies the 
solids, and thus supplies the lack of exercise. What inconveniencies 
does the great heat of summer produce ! What oppression and hea- 



FEBRUARY IL 67 



The influence which cold has upon health. 



viness do we feel when obliged to stay long in the open air; and bear, 
so to speak, the whole weight of a burning atmosphere ! How ear- 
nestly do we long for the coolness of the night, that in it we may be 
reanimated, and acquire new strength! The fine days of winter have 
not these inconveniencies. We have more activity, vigour, and cou- 
rage ; and are better disposed both for labour and pleasing employ- 
ments. The cold obliges us to walk fast, and to take such exercise as 
may procure us a moderate warmth. 

Thus, we may perceive that the winter contributes to our pleasure 
and health. The Creator has provided for our well-being in this 
season, as well as in others ; and he has made the wisest arrange- 
ments for the preservation and happiness of his creatures in each 
month of the year. If we are not so contented, during the winter ; 
if we do not enjoy as good health as in other seasons, it is incontes- 
tably our own fault. Perhaps we spend our time in idleness : proba- 
bly, always shut up in our own warm apartments, we never respire 
a pure air, nor profit by the fine winter days. Probably we give 
ourselves up to discontent, and anxious solicitude concerning the 
future : perhaps we transgress the rules of sobriety, and run to excess 
in eating and drinking: or, perhaps, we have abused the summer 
days, and by an irregular line of conduct ruined our health, the me- 
lancholy effects of which we now feel. How happy might men be, 
how uniform and excellent their health, if they followed the laws of 
nature, and caused labour and rest, business and pleasure, to succeed 
each other ! 

O rjiy benign Creator, I acknowledge, with lively gratitude, the wise 
ends which thou proposest in the government of the world ! I bless 
the paternal care with which thou providest for my preservation, my 
quiet, and my well-being, in all the revolutions of the year. Shall I 
then be so imprudent as to render a season painful and disagreeable, 
which may become a source of the most pure and innocent pleasure ? 
Shall I wantonly destroy my health and life, whilst thou art employed, 
with so much goodness, to preserve and strengthen them. No : I 
shall endeavour, henceforward, to answer thy wise and beneficent de- 
signs. Contentment of mind, and cheerfulness of heart, shall render 
my days agreeable ; while temperance and virtue ensure me a sound, 
and durable state of health. 



FEBRUARY III. 

A CONSTANT EQUALITY OF TEMPERATURE WOULD NOT BE BENEFICIAL TO 

THE EARTH. 

We imagine that our earth Avould be a paradise, if, at all times, and 
in every place, there were an equal distribution of heat and cold ; 
the same fertility ; and the division of days and nights. Thus we 
poor, frail, short-sighted mortals think, who refer every thing to our 



68 FEBRUARY III. 



Change of seasons beneficial to the earth. 



own interests. But, supposing that these things were arranged as 
above, is it certain that men would be gainers in respect to food, 
conveniencies, and pleasure ? So far from it, that, on the contrary, 
the earth would be the most dreary and miserable habitation for all 
creatures, were God to confoTm himself to the plan which we have 
prescribed to him. By the present arrangement there is an infinite 
diversity in the works of the Creator. But how gloomily uniform, 
and how destitute would the earth be of beauties and gratification, 
if the revolutions of the seasons, if light and darkness, cold and heat, 
did not take place ? Thousands of plants and animals, which cannot 
live but in those countries where there is a certain degree of tempe- 
rature, could not exist. Among the immense multitude of nature's 
productions,- there are very few which could succeed equally well in 
all climates. The greater part of creatures which are found in cold 
countries, could not bear the heat of warmer climes : while, on the 
contrary, those who inhabit warmer climates, would perish in cold 
countries. Were there in all places an equality of heat, many of the 
present productions of the earth could not exist : nature would be 
deprived of a great part of the charms of variety ; and we should lose 
innumerable blessings. If every country on the earth produced the 
same thing, and had the same advantages, all communication between 
different nations would cease : there could be no traffic, no com- 
merce, and many arts and trades must be unknown. And what 
must become of the sciences^ if the mutual wants of different nations 
did not lay them under a happy necessity of communicating with each 
other ? 

But supposing that the heat were equal in all parts of the world, 
could we determine what the degree of heat should be ? Should it be 
as warm every where as in the torrid zone? But who could bear 
such a temperature ? For, the colder regions receiving from the 
others a measure of their warmth, the heat difiused over the earth 
would be considerably augmented, and exceed that of the torrid 
zone ; and if it were of the same degree every where, men, ani- 
mals, and plants, must be consumed ; all must perish ! But suppose 
there were the same degree of temperate heat all over the earth, 
which should be adapted to the state of all the creatures; then the 
atmosphere must have the same degree of elevation, the same den- 
sity, and the same elasticity. Hence the earth would be deprived of 
one of the principal causes of winds ; and what inexpressible mis- 
chief would result from this ? The air, which is so essential to the 
preservation of our life, would soon become the most destructive of 
all poiso^ns, if not purified by the winds. The equality of heat over 
the earth, would occasion sickness, contagion, and pestilence ; and 
our pretended paradise would be no other than a real desert, a true 
chaos. 

Wise and beneficent Creator ! all that thou hast done is well done ! 
This acknowledgment is the result of all the reflections I have made 
in contemplating thy works. I wish to accustom myself to think 



FEBRUARY III. 69 



Change of seasons beneficial to the eartli. 



thus, at the sight of every object which the kingdom of nature pre- 
sents : and if at any time I imagine that I have discovered fauhs or 
imperfections, I shall correct myself, by calling to mind thy infinite 
wisdom, and the weakness of my own understanding. 

Many things which at first sight appear useless, and contrary to the 
order of the world, are arranged with admirable wisdom and good- 
ness. That which appears defective and imperfect to me, furnishes 
more illuminated minds with strong reasons to admJre and celebrate 
the infinite perfections of the Creator. And, supposing I should not 
always be in a capacity to acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of 
God in the creation and preservation of the world, it should ever 
satisfy me to know, that Jehovah hath done all things well. 

Such shall be my judgment henceforth concerning the moral go- 
vernment of God, and his dealings with intelligent creatures. As in 
nature he has distributed, in an apparently unequal manner, cold and 
heat, light and darkness ; he has sho^\^l also a great diversity in his 
dispensations towards rational creatures ; and has not regulated the 
lot of each in the same way. But here, as in nature, his ways are 
always the ways of wisdom and goodness. Even as our globe could 
not subsist, were there not heat and cold ; it is certain that the world 
must be destroyed, were there a perfect equality in the lot of all 
human beings. All that the Lord has regulated and ordered, is per- 
fect and admirable. All his paths are mercy and truth to those who 
keep his covenant and his testimonies. To him be glory for ever 
and ever ! 



FEBRUARY IV. 

THE UTILITY OF THE STARS. 

In the eye of every person who delights to reflect on the works of 
God, the starry heavens is an admirable theatre of the wonders of 
the Most High. The order, grandeur, multitude, and splendour, of 
these celestial bodies, present the most magnificent sight to an atten- 
tive observer of nature. The mere view of the stars, supposing we 
had no knowledge of their nature and design, would be sufficient to 
fill the mind with admiration and joy. For, what more majestic and 
beautiful can be seen, than that immense expanse of heaven, illumi- 
nated by lamps without number, which the azure face of the sky causes 
to appear more glorious ; and which differ from each other, not only 
in magnitude, but in brightness ! _ 

But could a Being infinitely wise have adorned this celestial vault 
\\4th so many bodies of immense magnitude only for the gratificatioa 
of our eyes, and to afford us a beautiful sight? Would he have crea- 
ted innumerable suns, only that the inhabitants of our little globe, 
might have the pleasure of seeing certain luminous points in the fir- 
mament; the nature and design of which are but very imperfectly 



70 FEBRUARY IV. 



utility of the stars. 



known, and themselves but rarely noticed? We cannot indulge such 
an idea, if we consider, that there is every where in nature an admi- 
rable harmony between the works of God and the ends which he 
proposes : and that in all he does, he not only designs to please, but 
to profit, his creatures. We cannot doubt, but God, in fixing the stars 
in the heavens, has had more exalted views than that of procuring 
us a pleasing sight. It is true, we cannot determine exactly all the 
particular ends which the stars may answer: but at least it is very 
easy to acknowledge, that they must be designed for the advantage, as 
well as the ornament, of the world ; and the following considerations 
will, doubtless, suffice to convince us of it. 

Among those stars which we can easily distinguish, there are some 
which are constantly in the same region of the heavens ; and which 
we always see over our heads. These are guides to those who tra- 
vel by laiid or water, during the obscurity of the night. They point 
out to the mariner his course, and inform him when he may under- 
take his voyages with the least danger, that he may arrive happily at 
the place of his destination. Other stars vary their aspects; and 
though they always preserve the same situation among themselves, 
they daily change the times of their rising and setting in respect to 
us. Even these changes, which are brought about in an invariable 
order, are of great utility to us. They serve to measure time, and 
to determine it by settled rules. The constant, regular revolution 
of the stars, m^rk precisely the commencement and end of the sea- 
sons. The husbandman knows, in the most correct manner, when it 
is time to commit his seed to the earth, and in what order he should 
conduct the cultivation of his fields. 

However considerable the adyantag-e may be which the stars are 
of to our earth, it is to be confidently presumed that this is neither the 
only nor principal end w^hich God has proposed in creating so many 
globes of such prodigious magnitude. Can any person believe, that the 
wise Creator would have strewed the immense expanse with so many 
millions of suns and worlds, for the alone end that a small number of 
inhabitants of our earth might be able to determine times, and to mea- 
sure the return of seasons ? Without doubt, these innumerable globes 
have more sublime ends ; and each of them a suitable and particular 
destination. All the stars are so many suns, which enlighten, warm, 
and animate other globes. Is it likely that God would have bestowed 
this property uselessly upon them ? Would he have created suns which 
can dart their rays to the earth, without producing other worlds 
which might enjoy their benign influence ? Would God, who has peo- 
pled this earth, which is but a point, with so many living creatures, 
have placed in the immense extent of heaven so many desert spheres ? 
Certainly not. Probably each of these fixed stars, which we see by 
thousands, has its worlds which revolve round it ; and for which it has 
been created. Probably, these spheres which we see above us, 
serve for habitations to different orders of creatures ; that they are, 
like our earth, peopled with inhabitants who can admire and cele- 



FEBRUARY IV. 71 



Utility of the stars. 



brate the magnificence of the works of God. Probably all these 
globes, as well as ours, send up incessantly to their Creator, prayers, 
songs of praise, and thanksgivings. 

It is true, that these are but probable conjectures : but these con- 
jectures may be very pleasing and useful to every man who truly 
loves God. What a sublime thought is this, that independently of the 
small number of rational creatures which inhabit this globe, there are 
ijinumerable multitudes in those worlds, which to us appear but as lu- 
minous points. It is certain, that the limits of our earth are not the 
bounds of the empire of the Most High. Beyond this, world, there is 
an immensity, in com.parison of which our globe, great as it may ap>- 
pear, may be accounted as nothing. Intelligent beings without num- 
ber may exist there : all magnify the name of our great Creator : all 
are as happy as their situations can admit ; and, perhaps, all aspire 
after a better world I 

ye unknown creatures ! beings, which have v»-ith me proceeded 
out of the hands of the same Creator ; I desire, as well as you, to ar^ 
rive in a better world, where I shall know God and his works, not by 
conjectures and probabilities; but by the deepest conviction and by 
ihe most clear and distinct view. Then shall 1 find myself nearer to 
thos.e immense spheres, which I see so dimly now ; and of which I 
have so imperfect a knowledge in this state of distance and ignorance 
in which I am found. Then I shall take my flight, pass rapidly from 
one planet to another, ascend from star to star, and magnify the name 
of thxfi Most High !— j when shall this be ? 



FEBRUARY V. 

THE WONDERFUL STRUCTURE OF THE EYE. 

The eye infinitely surpasses all the works of human industry. Its 
structure is the most astonishing thing that the understanding of man 
can properly comprehend. The most eminent artist cannot invent a 
machine of this nature, but what must be infinitely inferior to the eye. 
Whatever induslrj^ or sagacity he may have, he can execute nothing 
but what must have the imperfections common to the works of men. 
We cannot, it is true, discover perfectly all the art which the divine 
wisdom has employed in the formation of this beautiful organ ; but the 
little that we know of it, will suffice to convince us of the infinite un^ 
derstanding, goodness, and power of our Creator. What is most es- 
sential is, to avail ourselves of that knowledge, however little it may 
be, to magnify the name of the Most High. 

First of all, the disposition of the external parts of the eye is ad- 
mirable. What intrenchments and fortifications has the Creator 
provided for the safety of our eyes I They are placed in the head at 
a certain depth ; and encompassed with hard and solid boies, thai 
they may not be easily injured. The eijchrows contribute much to 



72 FEBRUARY V. 



Wonderful structure of the eye. 



the safety and preservation of this organ. The hairs which form an 
arch above the eye, hinder, not only the drops of sweat from the 
forehead from falling into it, but also dust, and such like matters. 

The eyelids are another defence ; and, besides, as they shut when we 
go to sleep, they prevent the action of the light from interrupting 
our repose. The eyelashes are instrumental to the perfection of the 
eye : they protect it from the injury it might receive from too much 
light, by excluding the superfluous rays ; they also prevent the dust 
from falling into the eye. 

But the internal structure is yet more admirable. The whole eye 
is composed of tunics, muscles, and veins. The tunic or exterior 
membrane of the eye, which is called the cornea^ is transparent ; and 
so hard that it is capable of resisting severe blows. Behind this 
there is another termed the uvea, which is circular and colcmred. 
In the centre of this there is an opening, which is termed the 'pu'pil 
of the eye ; and appears to be black. Behind this opening is the 
crystalline humour, which is perfectly transparent, of a lenticular 
shape, and composed of many small lamince. or layers, exceedingly 
thin, and placed one on the other. Under the crystalline, there is a 
limpid and transparent substance which is called the vitreous hu- 
mour, because it resembles melted glass. The cavity or outward 
chamber, between the cornea and the crystalline, contains a humour, 
fluid and limpid as water, and which, on this account, is termed the 
aqueous humour : this may be produced after having run out through 
a wound of the cornea. Six muscles, admirably well arranged, move 
the eye on all sides : elevate, depress, turn it to the right or left 
obliquely, or round, according as necessity may require. What is 
most wonderful is the retina, a membrane which lines ihe bottom of 
the eye. It is no other than a web of extremely fine fibres attached 
to a nerve which comes from the brain, and w^hich is called the oytic 
nerve. Vision takes place on the retina, because the objects are 
painted in the bottom of the eye on that tunic ; and although th© 
images of the external objects are painted in an inverted order on the 
retina, we nevertheless see them in their true situation. To form 
an idea of the extreme minuteness of the image thus painted on the 
retina, we have only to consider that the space of half a mile, i. e. 
more than eight hundred yards, painted on the bottom of the eye, 
occupies but the tenth part of an inch. 

I render thee thanks, Lord my God, that thou hast formed my 
eye in so wonderful a manner ! My soul acknowledges thy infinite 
wisdom, power, and goodness, in the arrangement of all the parts of 
my body. Until now, I have not considered .my eye as it should be 
considered, i. e. as a master=piece of thy handy work ; and as a 
demonstrative proof, that my body, even in its smaller parts, is not 
the work of chance ; and that thou hast not formed it without propo- 
sing to accomplish the most excellent ends. But, at present, I begin 
to get a glimpse of the wonders of thy goodness ; and I am struck 
with astonishment, in considering myself, and the other works which 



FEBRUARY V. 73 



Wonderful struelure of the eye. 



thou hast formed. Incline me to remember thy benefits with more 
gratitude, and to glorify thee by the use of my eyes ! Teach me to 
use them in such a manner as to answer the end for which thou hast 
given them ; that I may never abuse them, and that this beautiful 
organ may never be profaned or dishonoured by any fault of mine ! 
Grant that I may hereafter use my eyes to consider thy works ; and 
that as often as I contemplate the heavens, the earth, or myself, I 
may be excited to love and praise thy admirable goodness ! And, when 
I see the different woes and miseries, under which many of my fel- 
low-creatures groan, let not my eyes refuse tears, nor my heart be 
shut up against compassion. But, may tears of joy flow from my 
eyes, as often as I receive any new mark of thy goodness ; or am 
enabled to do any good to the poor and afflicted, to relieve them in 
their distresses, and to wipe away their tears. Thus shall I fill the 
intentions of thy goodness, and enjoy the approbation of my God. 



FEBRUARY VI. 

THE FOG OR MIST. 

Among the many meteors which we see in winter, one merits our 
particular attention; the/og. This is only a collection of aqueous and 
sulphureous vapours, which fill the lower region of the atmosphere, 
and are then condensed. This condensation is principally caused by 
cold : and in order to form fogs, the air must be sensibl}^ colder than 
the earth, whence exhalations continually arise. Fogs not only diffuse 
a gentle humidity over the earth, but furnish our eyes with a very 
pleasing sight. Every object, whether near or remote, the heavens or the 
earth, appears to be confusedly enveloped with a kind of gray cur- 
tain. Around and above us we see nothing but obscurity ; and the 
eye wanders from place to place without being able to distinguish the 
objects. The rising sun labours a long time to pierce these mists, and 
restore to the earth the appearance it had before : at length he suc- 
ceeds in dissipating these vapours : sometimes they descend upon the 
earth ; at other times they arise to the middle region of the air. Ob- 
jects, by little and little, emerge from that uniform obscurity with 
which they were encompassed, and appear in their usual form. The 
heavens regain all their brightness and serenity ; and it is only close 
to the ground, or on the roofs of houses, that we perceive any traces 
of that fog which for several hours had covered the horizon. 

At the appearance of this meteor, I recal to mind that dreary time 
when the sciences were, so to speak, covered with the impenetrable 
mist of superstition and ignorance. In what thick darkness were 
whole provinces and kingdoms, before the sun of truth could show 
himself in all his splendour. The light of the human mind was so 
very imperfect, and its sisfht so bounded, that men did not know the 

10 



74 FEBRUARY VI. 



The fog or mist. 



things with which they are encompassed ; and the power of error was 
such, that no ray of light could penetrate those souls which were dark- 
ened by prejudice and superstition. At last the sun appeared, and 
suddenly illuminated all those countries, which during whole ages, 
had been buried in the deepest shades. We became capable of dis- 
tinguishing truth from error ; a blessed eternity was opened to our 
view; and we began to feel all the grandeur of our destination. 
Blessed Luther ! this thou hast done, by the strength and grace of 
God. Thy memory shall be always blessed among us, and thy memo- 
rial shall be eternally precious ! 

It is still too true, that as long as our earthly pilgrimage lasts, we 
walk in comparative darkness. The mist which surrounds us pre- 
vents us from taking a clear and distinct view of futurity. Our igno- 
rance, prejudice, and unbelief, augment the darkness of our present 
state. May they be speedily dissipated I May the light of truth and 
joy speedily illuminate us in this valley of obscurity ! Blessed be 
God, the way opens before me ; and through the shadows which sur- 
round me, I get a glimpse of the path that leads to a glorious eter- 
nity ! Soon the clouds shall disappear, and I shall be transported into 
the habitation of light and felicity, where no shade shall ever obscure 
my view. " Then I shall know, in the brightness of the Lord, that 
vrhich, upon earth appeared dark and gloomy. There I shall per- 
ceive the wisdom and holiness of those ways of Providence which I 
found incomprehensible here below. There my soul, penetrated with 
admiration and gratitude, shall see the marvellous connexion, an4 
perfect harmony, of the works of the Most High," 



FEBRUARY VII. 

THE FLUX AND REFLUX OF THE SEA. 

The greatest part of the surface of the earth is covered with 
water : this is called sea ; and this immense mass is very distinct from 
lakes and rivers. Those contain less or more water, according to the 
seasons ; whereas the sea always contains nearly the same quantity. 
But it is observed that the sea ebbs and flows, twice each day, ac- 
cording to certain rules. When it is found at its greatest height in 
any port, it begins immediately to decrease ; this decrease, or ebb, 
lasts six hours, and then the sea is found at its lowest state. At the 
end of six hours, it begins again to flow ; and continues increasing six 
hours more, at the end of which, it is again found at its greatest ele- 
vation. Then it falls back during six hours, and rises again in the 
same space of time ; so that in 24 hours the sea has ebbed twice, and 
flowed twice : i. e. it has been twice at its lowest and twice at its 
highest state. 

This alternate regular motion of the waters, is called the ;2wa; and 
reflux, or ebbing and flowing of the sea. When it retires from th,e 



FEBRUARY VII. 75 



Flux and reflux of the sea. 



coasts, It is called the reflux, when it advances towards the shore, it 
is termed the flux. The most remarkable thing in these tides, is, 
that they are regulated according to the course of the moon. The 
flux is greatest at the new and full moon ; and least in the quarters. 
This motion is more considerable in spring and autumn, than in the 
other seasons : on the contrary, the tides are much weaker at the 
solstices. This phenomenon is especially remarkable in the ocean, 
where the water occupies a greater space : and is much less dis- 
cernable in small and limited seas, such as the Mediterranean. The 
interval between the flux and reflux is not precisely six hours; it is 
eleven minutes more : so that these revolutions do not happen exactly 
at the same time the next day ; but three quarters of an Jiour later. 
The tides do not return at the same hour, till about the end of thirty 
days, which is precisely the time from one new moon to another. 

We may certainly conclude, from this regular and constant pheno- 
menon, that the flux and reflux have a particular connexion with 
the motion of the moon. But, without pretending at present to fa- 
thom the cause of this effect, in which there is still much obscurity ; 
without deciding whether the flux and reflux come from the moon's 
pressure upon the waters, or the gravitation of the parts of the earth 
towards the moon, let us especially reflect on the ends which God has 
proposed to effect by these remarkable revolutions. It is a pardon- 
able ignorance, not to be able perfectly to explain the order and laws 
of nature : but it is an ungrateful, and inexcusable inattention, not to 
reflect on the advantageous influence which these laws, and these 
grand phenomena, have upon the earth ; or to forget what we owe to 
the beneficent Father of nature. 

The first advantage which the flux of the sea procures us is, that 
it drives back the waters into the rivers, so as to make their channels 
sufficiently deep to carry vessels laden with merchandise to the very 
gates of great cities ; and without this, the carriage of goods would, 
in many cases, be impracticable. Vessels wait some time for this 
increase of the waters ; and they avail themselves of it, to enter bays 
without touching the bottom, or to get into channels of rivers without 
danger. After this important service, the tides diminish, and permit 
the river to return into its channel. Thus the retiring waters give 
others the opportunity of returning with more speed for other car- 
goes. . . . • 

Another advantage which we derive from this flux and reflux of the 
sea, is, that it prevents that stagnation which would lead to putrefac- 
tion. It is true, the wind also contributes much to this ; but there is 
often a great calm on the waters ; and this would beget putrefaction in 
the sea, which is the receptacle of all the impurities of the earth. 
God has then established the flux and reflux, to prevent injurious 
stagnations : the ascending and descending motion of the waters atte- 
nuates and separates these corrupt particles every where, which, 
without this, would speedily fall to the bottom. 



76 FEBRUARY VII. 



Flux and reflux of the sea. 



These reflections may naturally recal to our minds one circum- 
stance, which has much affinity to the phenomenon we have now been 
considering. Life itself is but a flux and reflux : it increases and 
diminishes : all is inconstant, and subject t-o change. Nothing is 
durable. There is no earthly joy, hope, or happiness, permanent : 
we swim in a rapid and inconstant river. Let us take heed that we 
be not carried into the abyss ; and let us endeavour to arrive safely in 
the desired and delightful haven. Let us thank God, that our difficul- 
ties and distresses cannot be of long duration. Long and excessive 
grief is as incompatible with our nature here, as constant and perfect 
earthly felicity. But even these vicissitudes are incontestably advan- 
tageous. Jf we should enjoy an uninterrupted felicity during the 
whole course of our life, we might easily be puffed up, and forget God. 
on the other hand, a continual succession of distresses and misfortunes 
might plunge us into melancholy, and harden our hearts. Let us 
therefore bless our heavenly Father for the wise arrangements which 
he has made in this respect ; and let us endeavour to conduct ourselves 
in all the circumstances and events of life, in prosperity as well as in 
adversity, in such a manner as may be worthy our vocation, and the 
hope v/hich we entertain of eternal life ! 



FEBRUARY VIII. 

THE S'XJN DOES NOT ALWAYS APPEAR. 

The sky is not always covered with rainy or snowy clouds. Some- 
times the clouds divide, after having poured out upon the earth that 
abundant provision of water which they had concealed ; and then the 
most pleasing serenity is spread over the sky. The face of the sun, 
of which obscure clouds had deprived us for some days, revives the 
various tribes of animals, and fills them with joy and gladness. During 
the summer days we are accustomed to the presence of this beautiful 
luminary : but as in winter he very rarely shows himself, and when 
he does, it is only for a few hours-, w^e then learn better how to appre- 
ciate his benefits. And is not this one observation which we ought to 
jTiake concerning all the gifts which we receive from the hand of God ? 
Is it not true, that we seldom properly esteem the blessings of this life ; 
and that we regard them with indiflference, when they are constantly 
in our possession ? Health, rest, friendship, a decent income, and a 
thousand other blessings which we daily enjoy, do not appear to us so 
considerable as they are in effect : and often we do not begin to think 
of their excellence till we have lost them. It is necessary that we 
should be laid on a sick bed, be deserted by all our friends, and be re- 
duced to poverty and want, that we may know what a blessed thing it 
is to enjoy good health, to have a faithful friend, and the means of an 
honest subsistence. 



FEBRUARY VIII. 77 



The sun does not always appear. 



When the sky clears up, after being a long time obscured by clouds, 
the earth, for some time afterward, presents a very gloomy aspect. 
It is true, that it is cheered a little by the sun's rays ; but this is 
not sufficient to restore it all its beauty. The sun has not as yet 
sufficient strength to overcome the cold, which has frozen the earth ; 
or to reanimate nature, which appears dead. Thus also, the light 
of the understanding does not always warm the heart. All those who 
languish in want and affliction feel this. It sometimes happens, that 
in the winter of life, or in other afflictive and mournful circumstances, 
men get a distant glimpse of joy and pleasure, without the power of 
tasting their sweetness ; or of being strengthened by having them in 
possession. Nevertheless, we owe thanks to our heavenly Benefactor 
for those rays of joy, which, from time to time, visit our souls, and 
sooth our cares and troubles, though but of momentary duration. I 
stop here, my God, and ask this favour : should it be thy will to 
assign me, in my old age, some dark and melancholy hours, grant that 
I may not murmur at it ! Grant that I may not lose courage ! Grant 
that my soul may be animated, from time to time, with rays of joy, and 
let me have a glimpse of that blessed eternity which awaits me 1 All 
that I dare ask from thee, on this subject, is, a few moments of respite 
and comfort, which shall enable me to bear with courage my few cloudy 
days ofadversit}'. How inconstant is the serenity of the sky in these 
winter days ! How little can we reckon on the genial rays of the sun I 
Now he shows himself in sweet majesty ; but quickly he will be 
covered with cloads, and before mid-day vie shall see no more of that 
splendour and beauty Avhich he has diffiised this morning upon the 
earth. Such also is the inconstancy of all the scenes of our life. 
We can never promise ourselves durable joys, or uninterrupted plea- 
sures. This should make us wise and cautious in the days of pros- 
perity, and moderate our love for earthly good. All is subject to 
inconstancy and change. Virtue alone is immutable. This alone can 
enable us to support the vicissitudes and afflictions of this world ; and 
strengthen us, in prosperity and adversity, till we arrive in those 
blissful regions, where we shall be perfectly happy, without any 
shadow of variation or decay ! 



FEBRUARY IX. 

THE EARTHQUAKE. 

Our earth experiences two kinds of shocks : one caused by the 
action of subterraneous fires, and the explosion of volcanoes. These 
commotions are only felt at small distances, and only when the volcanoes 
act just before a complete eruption. As soon as the matter, which 
forms the subterranean fires, begins to ferment, and be inflamed, the 
fire makes an efibrt on all sides, and if it find not a natural vent, lifts 
UD the earth, and throwing it aside with violence, forms itself a 



78 FEBRUARY IX. 



The earthquake. 



passage. Earthquakes of this kind extend only to the distance of a 
few miles : they shake the earth, as the explosion of a magazine of 
gunpowder would shake it, which produces a shock, and consequent 
tremour, which are felt at several miles distance. 

But there is another species of earthquake, very different in its 
effects, and perhaps in its cause too : those terrible shocks which are 
felt at a great distance, and shake a long tract of land, without pro- 
ducing any new volcano. We have examples of earthquakes which 
were felt at the same time in England, France, and Germany. These 
extend much more in length than in breadth : they shake a kind of 
terrestrial zone, with more or less violence, in different places ; and 
are almost always accompanied with a dull sound, similar to that of a 
great coach running rapidly. 

To understand the better what the causes of this species of earth- 
quake may be, we shall make the following observations : all inflam- 
mable substances, and matter capable of explosion, like gunpowder, 
produce by ignition a great quantity of air. This air produced by the 
fire, is so rarefied, that it must produce very violent effects, when it has 
been for some time pent up, and compressed in the bowels of the earth. 
Let us suppose, that, at a very considerable depth, one or two hundred 
fathoms, there should be found pyrites, and other sulphureous matter, 
which, through means of air, get ignited : they must necessarify seek 
for vents, and if they find none, they will produce them by violent 
shocks. 

It is impossible to find words to express how terrible and fatal these 
sort of earthquakes are. Of all the desolations, of all the catastrophes 
which happen to the earth, there are none so formidable and destruc- 
tive as earthquakes ; and which so effectually baffle all human power 
and foresight. When rivers leave their channels, and overflow coun- 
tries, and sweep whole villages before them, there is still some re- 
source : a man may escape to the tops of the mountains, or oppose 
dykes to the fury of the floods. But this is impossible or useless in 
earthquakes. There is scarcely any other kind of danger but one 
may escape. Lightning has never consumed whole villages and pro- 
vinces. The plague, it is true, may nearly depopulate the greatest 
cities, yet not entirely destroy them : but the calamity we speak of 
extends, with an irresistible power, over a whole country, and swallows 
up whole nations and kingdoms, without leaving a vestige behind of 
their former existence ! 

Sovereign, Almighty Being ! who can stand before thee when thou 
exercisest thy power ? Who can withstand thee when thou arisest to 
judge the nations ? The earth trembles, and is shaken before thee ; 
the foundations of the mountains reel to and fro, when thy anger is 
kindled ! The mountains quake at him, the hills melt, and the earth is 
burnt at his presence ! Who can stand before his indignation ? And who 
COM abide in the fierceness of his anger 1 His fury is poured out like fire ; 
and the roclis o.re throivn down by it. Nahum. i. 5, 6. Who would not 



FEBRUARY IX. 79 



The earthquake. 



fear thee, O King of the earth ! O Lord, we acknowledge and adore 
thy sovereign majesty ! Thy judgments are incomprehensible ; but 
thou art good and merciful in all thy dispensations I 

my soul ! be deeply impressed with this great truth, when the Lord 
manifests his judgments upon the earth ; when he consumes whole 
countries in the fierceness of his wrath; even then, his ways towards 
his creatures are Avays of wisdom and goodness. Canst thou imagine 
that it is to crush, thee^ that he has ordained these terrible shocks? 
Thee, who mightest be overthrown with a blast ? Canst thoxi believe 
that the Most High needs to employ the elements, and to use the 
powers of nature to reduce thee to powder ? Acknowledge, rather, in 
these terrible catastrophes, more grand designs. In the Creator's plan, 
even earthquakes tend to the stability of the whole. And supposing 
that some villages, cities, and provinces, be buried under their ruins ; 
supposing that many thousands of creatures be destroyed ; what are 
ten thousand provinces, what are a hundred thousand creatures, in 
comparison of the whole world, or in comparison of that innumerable 
multitude of beings which inhabit the creation ? Be well assured, 
that every thing terrible and frightful in nature, all apparent evil, all 
the imperfections of the world, are necessary for the preservation of 
the whole, and for the manifestation of the glory of God. 

Great and Almighty Being ! I will bless and adore thy name, even 
when thou sendest thy scourges upon the earth, and spreadest terror 
and desolation over it. I will do no more : — I will repose with full 
confidence on thy paternal care. Though the mountains should fall 
down and tumble into the sea, and the world be destroyed, thou wilt 
still be my support, my strength, and my high defence. Thou wilt 
ever be my aid and my protector, in all the evils which can possibly 
befall me. 

" Let me only possess a good conscience, and then I shall find no- 
thing terrible in nature, though all should be shaken around me. 
Should the earth cleave under my feet, and the whole world crumble 
into dust, I will say, with confidence, God is my rock and my defence, 
his powerful hand shall always support me." 



FEBRUARY X. 

THE ESTABLISHED ORDER OF GOD RELATING TO THE LIFE AND DEATH 

OF MAN. 

God has observed the most exact and most wonderful order, in re- 
gard to our life and death. So little do both depend upon blind chance, 
that, on the contrary, they are regulated and measured in the wisest 
manner. If we establish our calculations on a certain number of 
years, it will be found, that a proportionable number of persons of 
every age dies. Out of 35 or 36 living persons, there dies but 07ie 
each year. On the other hand, more are born continually than die 



80 FEBRUARY X. 



Life and death of man. 



in the same proportion, so that if ten die,, we may always reckon that 
twelve are born. Besides this, God has shown his wisdom very par- 
ticularly relative to the different ages of those who die. In the first 
years, out of three or fo2tr infants, one ordinarily dies. In the fifth 
year, one out of 25 ; in the seventh^ one out of 50 ; in the tenths one 
out -of 100 ; in the fourteenth and fifteenth^ one out of 200. The twen- 
tieth year is nearly equal to ihe fifteenth. After the tiveiity-fifth year, 
the mortality becomes greater. Of persons at thirty, there dies one 
out of 60. At thirty-five, one out of 50, &c. 

How evidently does God manifest his wisdom and goodness, in spa- 
ring those most who are young ; and in what admirable proportion does 
he remove them from the world ! Among a thousand that die, there is 
every where a pretty equal number of persons at twenty, fifty, sixty, 
and eighty years of age. It is granted, that the particular mode of life, 
vices, war, and epidemic disorders, may carry away more in some 
years than in others ; but here also Divine Providence has taken care 
to put bounds to mortality in the subsequent years, so that the loss 
sustained may be abundantly repaired. Let us add to this, that each 
season of the year is not equally dangerous to men. Spring is most 
fatal ; and the beautiful month of May, in which all nature seems to 
revive, is more mortal than April and March. But when the warmth 
increases, in the month of June, maladies sensibly decrease. Summer 
and autumn ^re more favourable to health than winter. 

Let us admire the providence of God, and his tender care of our 
life» The days of all are marked in the book of the Most High, from 
the greatest potentate to the meanest beggar, or infant at the breast. 
How tranquil ought we to be, seeing our birth, as well as our death, 
so exactly determined .' And how easy should it be to us, to surmount 
the excessive fear of death ! God has, doubtless, determined the bounds 
of our life in such a way as to be most advantageous to us. If Ave 
have the comfortable assurance, that we have found grace with God, 
through Jesus Christ, we may be certain that we shall not be re- 
moved from this world till we are ripe for eternity ; and till God has 
advanced us to that degree of piety which he has appointed for us. 
Deceived by self-love, we think, at the approach of death, that God 
treats us with excessive rigour in calling us so soon out of this v/orld ; 
but let us rest assured, that however premature our death may 
appear to be, it comes exactly at the time in which it is best for our- 
selves, and for other creatures. 

Finally, let us not imagine that this wise order which God has 
established relative to the life and death of man, authorizes us to 
reckon with certainty on a particular number of years. It is doubt- 
less true, that fewer persons die in the fifteenth, than in the third 
year. But if, in a place where the population is not great, ^t;e young 
persons die annually, who can answer for you, that you shall not be 
ihe first or the last of these five? or if you should pass the fifteenth, 
who can tell you that you shall not die in the following year ? 



FEBRUARY X. 81 



.ife and death of man. 



Should not this, on the contrary, stimulate you to accomplish the 
work appointed you during those years, when it is most probable you 
may live ; seeing it is uncer.tain whether some of those in which there 
is ordinarily a greater mortality, may not be fatal to you. 

Above all, be not so foolish as to flatter yourself with the expecta- 
tion of a long life. Death makes his greatest ravages in those years 
in which man is in his greatest strength, i. e. from his fortieth to his 
sixty-fifth year. And when we think we • have made our wisest 
arrangements; when we have formed our most beautiful plans for 
a long and happy life; it is then, I say, that death comes and snatches 
us away, in the midst of our projects, and in the bloom of our hopes. 

How wise should we be, did Ave make a timely preparation foi' that 
day which may any day surprise us ! God, in his wisdom, has so or- 
dered it, that about thirty thousand persons die daily : and how easily 
may it happen, that some of us may be included in this number! 
How necessary is it that we should think of death daily, and that we 
carefully prepare for it. Let this be our principal employment : let 
us make the necessary dispositions early, and be always ready ! 
Then, let death come whenever it may please the Lord, we shall be 
found watching; and in our last, moments be able to bless our great 
Redeemer. 



FEBRUARY XL 

REFLECTIONS UPON ICE. 

Water, when condensed by cold, loses insensibly its fluidity, chan- 
ges in proportion to the increase of the cold, and becomes that solid 
body which we term ice. This change, which in the present season 
is daily wrought before our eyes, deserves to be particularly consider- 
ed; at least, we should endeavour to learn the reasons of some of 
those phenomena which appear in congealed water. 

Ice is a body lighter than water ; for, if we put congealed water 
into a temperate heat, so that the ice may be detached from the sides 
of the vessel, it always swims at the top ; and were it weightier than the 
water, it would necessarily sink to the bottom. What makes if lighter 
is the increase of its size ; for although it becomes at first more com- 
pact than the cold, yet it becomes much dilated when transformed into 
ice. This dilation is formed with so much violence, as to be capable 
of rending a copper globe so thick that it would require a force oione 
thousand and twenty-eight pounds to produce the like effect. 

When the icy crust is formed on the surface of the water, the ice 
is as yet entirely transparent ; but as it thickens, it becomes opaque. 
This opacity is produced by bubbles of air, of different sizes, which 
are included in the ice, and which occasion a more frequent refrac- 
tion of the rays of light. Ice exhales a great many vapours even in the 
severest cold. It has been found, by experiments frequently repeated, 

11 



82 FEBRUARY XL 



Reflections upon ice. 



that when the cold is most intense, four pounds of ice lose, by evapo- 
ration, a whole pound of its substance in eighteen days ; and that a 
piece of ke, of the weight of four ounces, loses four grains of its 
weight in twenty-four hours. Ice is formed commonly at the surface 
of water. It is an error to suppose that it is formed at the bottom, and 
that it afterward swims ; for the cold, by which it is formed, coming 
from the atmosphere, that cause cannot operate at the bottom of the 
water without having previously congealed all that was above. 

The manner in which ice is formed, is not less remarkable, which 
is this : when it freezes gently, a multitude of small threads may be 
seen, proceeding from the interior circumference of the glass, in 
different directions ; and forming all sorts of angles among themselves, 
they unite on the surface of the water, and then form a very thin 
pellicle of ice. These first threads or filaments are succeeded by 
others 5 they multiply and increase in the form of thin plates, and 
being increased in number and thickness, they unite themselves to 
the first pellicle or crust. In proportion as the ice thickens, a multi- 
tude of air-bubbles appear; and the more intense the cold becomes, 
the more these bubbles increase. Hence it is, that the transparency 
of the ice diminishes, especially towards the centre ; and then it 
begins to dilate violently, and swell to a greater size. When the 
cold is very keen, and it freezes violently, a thin membrane is formed 
on the surface of the water, which proceeds from the sides of the 
glass, towards the centre. Under this membrane others are seen, 
which appear in the form of triangles, the base of which is towards 
the side of the glass, while the raore acute angles -are directed to the 
centre. Thus the icy crust thickens, is rendered opaque by the 
included globules of air, is dilated, and becomes lighter and lighter. 

But, having reflected on these phenomena, is it not very natural to 
say to one's self, What order and harmony prevail, even in the least 
works of nature ! .Every thing is regulated in weight and measure, 
according to times and seasons. All nature co-operates with God to 
fulfil his purposes ; and had we a more distinct and perfect know- 
ledge of the wise counsels and designs which God proposes in each 
phenomenon, what would our astonishment be ! However, the little 
we do know of these things should excite us to adore the wisdom of 
the Creator, and to magnify his holy name I 



FEBRUARY XIL 

tftje SPHERICAL FlGtJRE OF OUR EARtH. 

People generally suppose' the earth to be a level plain, a round flat 
surface ; but, were this the case, the exterior bounds of this surface 
may be found, and in approaching any place, it would be impossible 
to discover the tops of towers and mountains, till we had seen their 
bases. The earth is a globe, but not absolutely spherical ; for it is a 



FEBRUARY XII. 83 



The spherical figure of our earth. 



little raised at the line, and flattened at the polest so as nearly to 
resemble an orange. But this deviation from the absolutely circular 
form is very inconsiderable, at most only 50 English miles, which is 
scarcely sensible in a globe whose circumference is 23,892 English 
miles, and 7,964 in diameter. No doubt can remain of the spherical 
figure of the earth, if we only consider that in eclipses of the moon, 
the shadow which the earth casts upon that planet is always round. 
Besides, if the earth were not round, how could men have sailed 
round it, and how could the stars rise or set sooner to the inhabitants 
of the eastern parts, than to those of the west ? 

Here is another manifestation of the wisdom of the Creator. The 
form which he has given this earth, is the most suitable and convenient 
to a world, such as ours, and to its inhabitants. The light and heat, 
which are so necessary for the preservation of the creatures, are, 
by this means, distributed, in an equal and uniform manner, all over 
the earth. It is through this that we have the regular returns of day 
and night, of cold and heat, of moisture and drought. First, the waters 
are distributed in equal proportions to all the globe, and the winds 
breathe their salutary influences in every part of the earth. We should 
be deprived of all these advantages, if the earth had any other form. 
Some countries would be a paradise, others a chaos. One part would 
be overwhelmed by the waters, the other parched up by the heat of 
the sun. Some countries would be exposed to furious tempests, which 
would destroy every thing, while the inhabitants of others must be 
sufTocated, as the currents of air would be retarded, if not entirely 
stopped. One part of the globe would enjoy the benign influences o-f 
the sun, while another must be benumbed with cold. 

What pride and ignorance do we discover, if we do not acknow- 
ledge here the hand of the almighty and all-merciful Creator ! Do 
we deserve to be inhabitants of a globe, where all is so wisely arran- 
ged, if, like the brute beast, we are inattentive to the admirable order^ 
and ungrateful, while enjoying the innumerable benefits which result 
from it ? O my God, and my Creator ! let me never be guilty of such 
monstrous ingratitude. Full of astonishment and admiration at the 
sight of thy works, let us raise ourselves up to thee, and adore thy 
wisdom ? Our weakness permits us to go no farther. Oh ! how much 
should we desire to be capable of celebrating thee with the fervour 
of the heavenly choir ! to contemplate, with a more enlightened eye, 
thy wondrous works, and to be no longer subject to deceive ourselves 
in meditating on thy sublime designs. 

But, thou kindly condescendest to accept the feeble efforts which 
we make to glorify thee. Though our knowledge be limited, and our 
praises imperfect, yet thou knowest they are sincere. One moment 
n the blessed abodes of the heavenly Jerusalem will enlighten us 
more than a whole century below. With what transport of joy should 
we meditate on this glorious state ! Ah, Lord I how long shall it be, 
ere we arrive in those blessed regions where we shall get a more 



84 FEBRUARY XIII. 



On the short duration of the snow. 



intimate acquaintance with thy works, and where we shall glorify 
thee, with all thy saints, throughout eternity ? 



FEBRUARY XIII. 

ON THE SHORT DURATION OF THE SNOW. 

We see the instability of the snow, and how soon the rays of the 
sun, damp and mild air, or heavenly showers, cause it to disappear 
from the earth. Often the appearance of surrounding objects is 
changed in a few hours ; and there is scarcely a trace left of that 
snow which covered the shrubs, villages, and fields. Is not this sudden 
revolution well calculated to make us reflect on the vanity and uncer- 
tainty of earthly possessions ? Certainly it is not without a wise 
design that nature presents us with such emblems of the frailty of 
terrestrial things. In all the seasons, and in all the variations which 
their returns bring, it preaches to us, with a vigorous and persuasive 
Voice, this great truth : All is vanity ! Let us contemplate the whole 
surrounding theatre of terrestrial objects. Can we discover any 
thing but what is frail and perishing ? How speedily we are deprived 
of the pleasures of sense ? They disappear when we just begin to 
enjoy them. Often at sun-rising we are contented and merry, yet 
before it sets, we are overwhelmed with melancholy and distress. 
Have we not all often experienced, in the course of our life, how un- 
certain and transitory earthly enjoyments are? Riches, on which 
we value ourselves, often make unto themselves wings, and fly away 
as an eagle, and abandon their possessor, just at a time when he flat- 
tered himself he should enjoy them peaceably, and without interrup- 
tion. The transition, from the greatest opulence to the greatest po- 
verty, want, and misery, is often as sudden as the arrival of a thaw 
after the most intense cold. We might rest satisfied with this, if our 
life and health were not as frail as all other sublunary things. 

Nevertheless, it is but too true, that such reflections as these affect 
us but little, while we are in possession of earthly prosperity. We 
resemble those, who, in a beautiful winter morning, venture to set 
out on a journey, without considering the sudden changes of weather 
which are common to this season. When fortune smiles upon us, and 
joy and pleasure surround us, we think we have nothing to fear, and 
do not consider hov/ suddenly the most prosperous circumstances 
may be changed to adversity. And, supposing that we have not yet 
had occasion to prove this by sad experience, is it certain, that a time 
will not come, Avhen we shall have the fullest conviction of the frailty 
and emptiness of all earthly things ? Are we yet in the spring or 
summer of life ? Let us remember, the winter will not fail to come ; 
and then shall we feel how transitory those possessions are on which 
we have reposed with so much confidence. We shall learn, that all 



FEBRUARY XIII. 85 

On the short duration of the snow. 

sublunary pleasures resemble snow, which for a little while dazzles 
the eyes, but quickly melts and is no more ! 

But here is another important reflection, which the instability of 
the snow may lead us to make : it reminds us of our great weakness. 
What could all the industry and strength of men avail, if they en- 
deavoured to free the earth from snow and ice ? But God brings 
about this change with infinite ease. He speaks, and suddenly the 
ice and snow melt away at his command. H© orders the winds to 
blow, and the thaw takes place. Now, cannot that God, who does 
such great things in nature, manifest the same power in the world of 
spirits, and in the regulation of our concerns ? He has only to speak, 
and our troubles shall end, and all about us shall, resume a smiling^ 
appearance. 



FEBRUARY XIV. 

AN EPITOME OF THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 

There was a time when our globe, and the other heavenly bodies, 
had no being. God willed that they should exist ; and his almighty 
will produced the heavens and the earth. At first all was a confused 
and formless mass, which is commonly named chaos. On \kQ first day 
of the creation, God communicated motion to this senseless mass, and 
separated the igneous and luminous particles. These particles, sepa- 
rated from other matter, became united together, without being, as 
yet, formed into any particular body. The light God called day, and 
the darkness he called night. Hitherto, the solid and fluid bodies 
were confounded together. God separated tiiem, and collected the 
waters of our atmosphere; he raised vajvjurs from the earth, which 
condensing, became clouds, and form^ the lower firmament, which 
we call heaven. This was the worA: of God on the second day. As 
the waters still covered- the face oi the earth, God employed the third 
day in separating them. The waters were collected in divers reser- 
voirs ; whilst on the dry lane?, mountains, vallies, fields, meadows, and 
forests appeared. 

Each tree at this time bore its peculiar fruit : and each plant and 
vegetable contained the seeds necessary for the propagation of its 
species. On the fourth day, God formed, from that mass of light 
which he had separated from the darkness, luminous bodies, which 
should serve for the distinction of day and night, and to regulate the 
vicissitudes of the season of the year. Then the sun appeared, whose 
fire and benignant heat warm and fertilize the earth ; and whose rays 
enlighten us during the day. The moon appears to have been formed 
of the opaque matter of the chaos. Hitherto, God had only formed in- 
animate creatures upon the earth : and the fifth day was employed in 
giving existence to a part of the animals. God replenished the waters 
with fish of diflferent kinds and magnitudes ; giving them bodies ana= 



86 FEBRUARY XIV. 



An epitome of the history of creation. 



logons to the element in which they were to live. He peopled the air 
with all kinds of fowls, and impressed upon their nature the instinct 
to perpetuate their respective species, and to fill the air and the 
waters. Nothing remained now, but to replenish the earth with 
living creatures ; and these God formed on the sixth day. He now 
formed, out of the earth, a number of wild and domestic animals, to 
serve not only for tillage, • but also for the nourishment and support 
of man. Finally, Kg produced an infinity of insects and reptiles ; and 
all these animals, when created, were in their fullest perfection. All 
beiag thus prepared, the time came in which Man, the lord of the 
creatures, should be introduced into the world ! God therefore crea- 
ted the first man, and as he appertained both to intellectual and ma- 
terial worlds, he gave him not only a body, which was formed out of 
the earth, but also a rational soul. 

Of one of his ribs, during his sleep, he formed the woman^ and 
presented her to him to be his companion. These two creatures, in 
formation of whom he terminated -the works of Creation, were the 
masterpieces of his power and wisdom. 

Can we reflect on this history, without being struck with astonish- 
ment and admiration at the view of the power, understanding, and 
infinite wisdom which are manifested in the works of creation ? In 
every part of this grand theatre to which we turn our eye, we discover 
the Lord God Almighty, to whose immense power nothing can be 
compared. The heavens declare his glory, and the firmament 
shows forth his handy works. All the creature's are so many proofs 
of his adorable perfections, and in some way or other bear his image 
and superscription. It is only by considering the creatures in this 
point of view, aiTid by deriving these uses from the contemplation of 
them, that we can be accounted worthy inhabitants of this immense 
universe. And how is it possible to acknowledge the grandeur and 
glory of God in the works of creation, without feeling our minds 
affected, and penetrated with tht most lively sentiments of veneration, 
love, gratitude, and the most unlimivod confidence ? These are objects 
worthy of our most profound respect, ^,nd most ardent love. 

This is the fruitful source whence all that is beautiful, pleasant, 
and transporting in nature, derives its being. This is the Lord our 
God, who alone is worthy to re.ceive our homage, praise, and adoration. 
This is the most rational and suitable employment ; an employment 
for which we were created, and to which all the creation invites us. 
If we obey our Creator ; if we endeavour to conform ourselves, in all 
our conduct, to those rules of wisdom and order which he has follow- 
ed in the construction and arrangement of the universe, this will be 
the most acceptable praise : and if, filled with a filial confidence, we 
repose, without fear, on the tender care of that God who hath created 
us, this will be the greatest proof we can give of that veneration and 
respect which he requires of us. Let us earnestly pray that we may, 
by Christ Jesus, become children of our heavenly Father ; then shall 
we be naturally led to fulfil those duties which God requires of us. 



FEBRUARY XV. S7 



Bodily advantages which the brute creation have ov( 



FEBRUARY XV. 

BODILY ADVANTAGES WHICH THE BRUTE CREATION HAVE OVER MAN. 

When we carefully examine the bodies of brutes, we discover various 
advantages which they have over us. First, their bodies are incon- 
testably more compact, strong, and durable. The greater part of ani- 
mals are capable of using their limbs as soon as they come into the 
world, of seeking their food, and of acting conformably to the instinct 
with which the Creator has endued them. They are not subject to 
those cruel maladies to which we are exposed, and by which our con- 
stitution is so often destroyed. And what a wonderful instinct, what 
sagacity, what address, do they manifest in their motions, and in the 
use of their senses ! How delicate is their sense of smelling ! How 
subtile and piercing is their sight ! What agility and swiftness in the 
motions of animals, whether they run or fly ! If we consider the as- 
tonishing structure of their organs, the admirable make, the noble and 
majestic figure of some animals, it will be found, that in regard to our 
bodies we have few prerogatives ; and that they have a decided advan- 
tage over us in various respects. 

Some people complain of the lot of man ; and are discontented be- 
cause God has not given him the swiftness of the fowls, the strength 
of the horse, the delicate smell of the dog, the penetrating sight of the 
eagle, and the agility of the stag. But it is only stupidity and igno- 
rance which occasion such murmurs. If we knew the full worth of a 
rational soul, we should feel that we have the greatest advantages over 
other animals, notwithstanding their instinct and cunning. 

Wliy has the Creator given to irrational creatures prerogatives 
which are peculiar to their bodies ? Why has he endued them with so 
much strength, with such exquisite senses, and with so much agility 
and. address in their different motions ? Why has he endued them 
with such Avonderful instincts, and given them so much sagacity in 
procuring their nourishment ? It can only be as a recompense to them 
instead of reason^ and other human faculties which they want, and with 
which we are favoured. By the use of our understanding we can 
preserve ourselves from many maladies, and guard against many dan- 
gers : we may, by observing a proper regimen^ or by having recourse 
to medicine, cure the sickness and infirmities of our bodies, or, at 
least, relieve them. By our intellectual faculties we may procure and 
enjoy a multitude of conveniencies : intercourse with others, together 
with social life, contribute, in a thousand ways, to our well being. 
Brutes are deprived of all these advantages, merely because they have 
not received the inestimable gift of reason. These inferior creatures 
would have been too unhappy, had not the Creator granted them 
some recompense for that intelligence which they are denied. On 
this account, he has been, in some sort, more liberal towards them 
than towards us, in the distribution of certain corporeal advantages. 
He has given them a construction, form, and senses, appropriate to 



FEBRUARY XV. 



Bodily advantages which the hrute creation have over man. 



their different wants. He has given them a variety of instincts, in- 
dustry, and an admirable sagacity, by which they can distinguish what 
is salutary from what is noxious, defend themselves, procure their ov^/ii 
nourishment, and provide for their various necessities; advantages 
which we have not in the same degree, and without which we maybe 
very well satisfied, seeing we have received privileges of incompara- 
bly greater value. 

On this subject, we should admire the paternal care of a kind 
Providence towards men. It is for our sakes that God has formed 
the brutes with such admirable art. That they might be capable of 
rendering us more effectual services, God has endued them with so 
much strength, agility, and industry ; with so robust a body, and with 
such exquisite senses. We should soon be subject to all kinds of in- 
conveniencies, and be deprived of a multitude of considerable advanta- 
ges, relative to our support and occupations, if these animals, whose 
daily service is so necessary to us, had been formed with fewer corpo- 
real advantages. 

Consider also, that the privileges which the brutes enjoy are limited 
to the present world ; whereas we have been created for a better world, 
where our bodies, elevated to the highest degree of perfection, shall 
be freed from every kind of defect, and from all the wants to which 
they were subject here below. 



FEBRUARY XVI. 

THE MOON. 

Next to the sun, the moon, of all the heavenly bodies, has the 
most salutary influence on our globe. And were it not in itself an object 
worthy of our attention, it would become such, at least, by the great 
advantages which it procures to our earth. A simple view of it, 
without the assistance of a telescope, will enable us to discover many 
phenomena in it. It is an opaque body, and the illuminated part is 
always turned towards the sun. The increase and decrease of its 
light are sufficient to convince us, that the moon is a round dark body, 
which borrows its light from the sun. In twenty-four hours, this 
globe turns round our earth, and finishes its own revolution in about 
twenty-nine days and a half. But what the naked eye may discover 
in the moon, is not to be compared to what may be discovered by 
telescopes and calculations. What obligations are we under to those 
enlightened men, v^'-ho, to extend our knowledge, and to make the 
glory of the Creator more manifest to the eyes of men, have made 
inquiries and discoveries which enable us to form more exalted 
notions of the heavenly bodies ! By means of their laborious ob- 
servations, we know, at present, that the moon, Avhich appears so 
small to the naked eye, is nevertheless a body of considerable magni- 



FEBRUARY XVI. 89 



The moon. 



tude, considered in relation to the earth. Its diameter is 2364 miles 
and is about fourteen times less than our globe. Although the moon, 
of all the planets, is nearest to our earth, it is nevertheless at the dis- 
tance of 240,000 miles. On the face of the moon many spots are 
discovered by the naked eye. Some of these are pale and obscure; 
others are more luminous, according as they reflect more or less lioht. 
The bright spots are probably high mountains, which reflect the solar 
light from their ridges ; and the obscure spots are either deep vallies, 
or fluid or transparent bodies, such as seas, which, conformably to their 
nature, absorb the greater part of the light, and reflect but a little. 

These discoveries, to which no solid objection can be made, prove 
that the moon is not so inconsiderable a body as ignorant people ima- 
gine. The magnitude, the distance, and all that we know of this 
celestial globe, furnish us, on the contrary, with a new proof of the 
unbounded wisdom and power of our Creator. But can we suppose 
that a planet, so large as our moon, was intended for no other pur- 
pose but merely to enlighten our globe for a few nights ? Could that 
body, which, according to all appearance, is similar to our earth, and 
which seems calculated to answer the same ends, be designed for no 
other purpose than to produce the flux and reflux of the sea ; or, that 
it should procure some other advantages to the inhabitants of the earth, 
which are still unknown to us ? Is it probable, that the surface of a 
body 01 some hundreds of thousands of square miles, should be desti- 
tute of living creatures ? Would the infinite Being have left that im- 
mense space an empty desert ? Certainly this cannot be consistent 
with the wisdom and goodness of God. Let us rather believe, that 
the Lord has established his empire in that planet, as well as among 
us. There, without doubt, are found an innumerable inultitude of 
creatures, who adore, with us, the same Lord, and the same Father. 
Who are, as we are, the objects of his providential care ; and for whose 
happiness God provides with the same goodness as for ours. 

But, as our knowledge, in this respect, is very imperfect, let us 
confine ourselves to the advantages which our globe derives from the 
moon. In this we shall discover the tender care of a wise Provi- 
dence manifested in a very striking manner. He has placed the 
moon so near us, that it reflects more light upon the earth than all 
the fixed stars together. By this he not only afibrds us a pleasing 
object, but also a thousand conveniencies and advantages ; for, by the 
light of the moon, we may undertake journeys, go wheresoever 
our necessities may call us, prolong our labours, and despatch much 
of our business, during the night. Besides, in what confusion and 
embarrassment should we be, in respect to the division of time, 
were it not for that regularity with which the phases of the moon 
succeed each other ! It is true, that the calculations of astronomy 
save us the trouble, in this respect, of observing the variations of 
this planet ; but none of the conveniencies which the use of alma- 
nacs aflbrd us could exist, if observation had not been made on the 
course of the moon, 

12 



90 FEBRUARY XVI. 



The moon. 



Lord God Omnipotent ! I adore thy wisdom and goodness, in the 
light of the moon, as in that of the sun. The more I contemplate the 
heavens wliich thou hast formed, the more thy grandeur fills me with 
astonishment and admiration. Grant, Lord, that I may lift up the 
eyes of my understanding to thee, far above all terrestrial objects ! 
To thee, who hast created all these globes, and hast so wisely arran- 
ged them for our benefit ! Let the starry heavens which illuminate 
our winter nights, announce thy sovereign majesty, and the immense 
extent of thy empire ! O when shall I arrive in that blessed abode, 
where, with unveiled face, I shall contemplate the glories and won- 
ders of thy grace ! 



FEBRUARY XVII. 

•RAIN MOISTENS AND FERTILIZES THE EARTH. 

The fertility of the earth depends principally on the humidity which 
it receives from rain, and other aqueous vapours. If the watering of 
the fields were left to the care of man, it would be an endless toil ; 
and in spite of all his labours, drought and famine would desolate the 
whole. In vain should men unite their strength ; it would, not be 
sufficient to water w^hat their hands had sowed and planted. They 
might drain out the wells and rivers, without being able to saturate 
the earth, and reanimate the vegetables, which otherwise would lan- 
guish and die. How necessary then it is, that the vapours should be 
suspended in the clouds, and that afterward, by the agitation of the 
winds, they 'might descend upon the earth, and water both trees and 
plants ! Every shower enriches the earth, without which it would 
soon have a dismal and withered appearance. The treasures which 
the surface bestows so liberally upon us are, beyond all comparison, 
more valuable than all the metals and precious stones which its bowels 
contain. Civil society might very well subsist without gold or silver ; 
but not without corn, vegetables, and pasture. 

Let us reflect on the inexpressible blessings which the rain pro- 
duces on our globe. A timely shower renews the face of the earth ; 
and it has still more strength and influence than the dew, which, during 
the night, moistens the grass and the leaves. The furrows of the 
fields drink in greedily the refreshing rains which fall upon them. 
The prolific principles develope themselves in the seeds, and second 
the labour of the husbandman. The farmer labours ; he sows, he 
plants, and God gives the increase. Man does what belongs to him: 
and what is beyond his power, the Lord himself performs. In winter, 
he covers the seeds as with a garment : in summer, he warms and 
vivifies them by the rays of the sun, and by the showers. He crowns 
the year with his goodness ; and causes his blessings so to succeed 
each other, that men are not only nourished, but have their hearts 
filled with joy and gladness. 



FEBRUARY XVII. 91 



Rain moistens and fertilizes the earth. 



The divine blessing rests not only on the tilled land, but also on 
the fields and pastures of the desert. Even those countries Avhich 
are abandoned by man, and from which no person derives any direct 
advantage, are objects of providential care; and such is the goodness 
of God, that even the little hills and the mountains are girded with joy, 
and adorn themselves before us with smiling verdure. Psalm xlv. 12. 
The showers do not fall upon them in vain; for though they do not 
produce fruit for our nourishment; they are, nevertheless, vast reser- 
voirs of water for our earth ; and they 3^ield a great variety of whole- 
some plants and simples, good for the health of man, and serviceable 
for the nourishment of other animals. 

Let us never forget the good which the Lord has wrought. Jlow 
often, especially during the course of this month, does God" water the 
earth by his showers ? But how seldom do we thmk, as we ought, on 
the greatness of his benefits ! Let us endeavour to consider its worth, 
and reflect, how all nature would be a gloomy and barren desert, if 
the heavens were as brass, and the earth iron ! All plants and trees 
would perish; all living creatures would faint : we should respire 
death with the air; and all rivers and brooks would be dried up. 
But as often as the showers water the earth, so often we receive fresh 
proofs of the divine goodness. And yet we complain and murmur, 
when the wintry rains are abundant, and of long duration ! We have 
even sometimxes the rashness to censure the government of God I 
Rather let us bless the Creator for every shower which he sends 
down upon our earth : let us feel and celebrate his goodness towards 
us. " By his command the seasons are renewed, and follow each other 
in regular succession. For our sakes the rainfalls upon and fertilizes 
the earth. God opens his liberal hand to do good to mankind. His 
blessing descends upon our fields, and diffuses peace and gladness 
around. Let us therefore adore the Creator, and sing to his honour 
hymns of praise and thanksgiving. What has he not already done for 
ns ! and what may we not expect from his goodness I" 



FEBRUARY XVIII. 

WINTER PRESENTS IJS WITH EMBLEMS OF DEATH. 

We require continual warnings to induce us to think on the end of 
our days. It is natural for us to turn away our eyes from the pros- 
pect of death ; and were this not the case, there are m.any avocations, 
and many dissipations, which do not permit us to reflect on our end ; 
or which render the thought of death ineflectual. It is, nevertheless, 
necessary for our repose and comfort, to think frequently of this great 
event, that its terror may be diminished. In this respect the present 
season may be profitable ; we may consider as emblems of deatli, seve- 
ral objects which now present themselves to our eyes. 



92 FEBRUARY XVIII. 

Winter presents us with emblems of deatli. 

Nature is now deprived of that beauty and those charms with which 
it was adorned during the summer. The fields and gardens where we 
walked with so much pleasure, are now useless and deserted ; and 
retain nothing that can invite us to frequent them. The days are too 
short and too disagreeable to induce us to walk into the country. Is 
not this a striking emblem of what our life shall be, when we shall have 
attained the winter of our days ? Then, all the charms of which we 
were so vain in the spring and summer of life, shall disappear. Vex- 
ation, peevishness, and other infirmities incident to old age, will not 
permit us to relish the amusements of youth. Our younger compa- 
nions can no longer find any pleasure in our company : the short and 
gloomy days of old age must become burthensome : and if we act a 
rational part, our desires shall expand after a better life. 

How short the days are at this season ! Yet it would be wrong to 
complain of this, seeing they are so dull, the earth being deprived 
of its ornaments. And as life in general is a continual struggle with 
sin and misery, is it not a blessing that God has shut up life within 
such a narrow 'compass? The path that leads to heaven is short, but 
full of thorns : should we not be thankful to God for making it so 
short. 

Several kinds of animals pass the winter in profound sleep, from 
which they do not awake till they have felt the gentle and vivifying 
heat of the spring. Thus, our inanimate bodies shall rest in the 
grave till, in the day of the last judgment, they shall be awakened 
from the sleep of death. 

In winter, we are surprised by the night, which comes upon us in 
the midst of our occupations before we expected it. Perhaps, when 
we have purposed to finish such and such works, the evening comes, 
and suddenly interrupts our labours. Here again we may perceive 
a very plain emblem of the night of death. It will probably come 
when we least expect it. In the midst of projects which we have 
formed for the future ; in the midst of the most important enterprises, 
which we have determined to execute, this terrible death may surprise 
us. God grant that we may be then found in those occupations which 
may conduce to our everlasting happiness ! 

What is most melancholy in the winter nights is, that they are long, 
and that the sun does not speedily appear again. And perhaps, what ' 
causes us to dread death so much is, that our bodies must be shut up 
so long in the night of the grave : but, just as the longest winter nights • 
pass away imperceptibly in sweet sleep ; so insensibly will the night 
of death pass away, and the broad day of the new creation shall 
suddenly shine forth. 

These are some of the edifying and useful reflections with which 
the winter may furnish us. Let us not be afraid to meditate often on 
the emblems of death : and let us endeavour to turn them to our profit. 
*' Let us familiarize ourselves to the idea of our latter end; and let it 
be always present with us in every circumstance of life : then sh^ll 



FEBRUARY XIX. 93 



Means to procure fire. 



we be able to behold it without fear : it will.be our comfort in affliction, 
a friend and faithful counsellor in prosperity, and a buckler against 
temptation." 



FEBRUARY XIX, 

MEANS TO PROCURE FIRE. 

In the long winter nights, when the cold is intense, we find that fire 
is a benefit which we cannot too highly prize, and for which we can- 
not be too grateful. How gloomy and miserable would our life be in 
this season, if God had not given to fire the property of enlightening 
and warming our habitations : and if this element were not every where 
to be met with ! it is found in sulphur, in the fat of animals, in oil, 
in bees-wax, and in all vegetables, although it appear inactive, and 
that externally we perceive not its effects. But the collision of bodies 
discovers its presence, and proves that there must be fire diflfused 
through every part of the atmosphere, which may be perceived 
between the points which come thus into contact. By the rapid 
and repeated friction of hard bodies, such as flint and steel, the fire 
which these contain is put in motion : and the particles which are 
detached from bodies thus violently agitated against each other, acquire 
a power capable of inflaming any thing. This is the most common 
method of obtaining fire, for our daily domestic necessities. But, we 
generally content ourselves with the continual services which this 
element renders us, whether for the preparation of our food, for 
warming us, or for illuminating our apartments, -without taking the 
trouble of examining how it is produced. 

Were we more attentive to the causes of certain natural phenomena, 
we should find traces of infinite wisdom and goodness every where. 
And surely it does not require any great effort of reflection to discovei 
them here. It is with the most gracious design that God has difTused 
fire through all nature, that it might be at hand for every necessary 
purpose, and that we might enjoy its services on all occasions. This 
matter assumes every form in order to be useful to us; and by asso- 
ciating itself with a multitude of other bodies, it procures us the great- 
est advantages. How well would it be, could we only habituate our- 
selves to be more attentive to the many benefits which we receive from 
the liberal hand of God ! But alas ! it is really their constant and daily 
return which renders us careless and indifferent. Nevertheless, 
these proofs which we receive daily from the bounty of God, are such 
as we cannot at all dispense with ; and which, on this very account, 
deserve particularly to be acknowledged with gratitude and joy. Let 
us think frequently on our wise and merciful Preserver ; and in the 
enjoyment of his benefits, even those which appear to us of least 
consequence, let us frequently raise our hearts to heaven, and ac 
knowledge him as the source of all good. 



94 FEBRUARY XIX, 



Means to procure fire. 



O Lord, how great must that goodness be, which is extended over 
the whole earth ! Thy love, like the light and fire, surrounds us every- 
where. May we be deeply affected with it ! May it enlighten and 
influence our whole soul ! Heavenly Father, communicate to me some 
sparks of the fire of thy love, that I may reflect them upon my brethren, 
and that they, with me, may enjoy their blessed effects. 



FEBRUARY XX. 

THE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE SEASONS ON THE fiARTH. 

While ,the sun appears at a distance from us, and the intense cold 
binds and locks up all our fields, there are countries whose inhabi- 
tants enjoy all the beauties of the spring; others where they gather 
in the riches of harvest, and others where autumn fills their grana- 
ries with its fruits. Thus the Divine Wisdom has regulated the revo- 
lutions of seasons, and distributed to all his creatures the same favours 
at different times. His impartial love extends to all the creatures his 
hands have made, without regarding their rank, their nation, or their 
merit. It is sufficient that they need his mercy, for him to take plea- 
sure in bestowing it. His beneficent regards are fixed with as much 
goodness on the deserts of Arabia, as on the smiling countries of Eu- 
rope ; and his government is the same from pole to pole. 

But if God distributes the goods of this life with equality, why 
does he deprive certain countries of the pleasures of spring, with 
which he favours us so abundantly? Why does the sun diffuse his 
light so partially, that in some climates the nights, in others the days, 
last for whole months ? Why are not the icy regions about the poles 
as beautiful and as fertile as our plains and vallies ? Who art thou, 
O man, who darest to ask such questions ? What right hast thou to 
require the infinitely wise Being to give an account of his method of 
governing the world ? Proud mortal ! learn to humble thyself, and 
acknowledge the footsteps of an infinite wisdom even in those things 
wherein thy weak understanding can perceive nothing but defects. 
Perhaps thou thinkest that Providence has denied certain parts' of 
the earth those advantages and comforts which it has scattered, with 
so much profusion, over others. Not so : God has given to each 
country what was necessary for the life, nourishment, and happiness 
of the creatures which he has placed in it. All is arranged accord- 
ing to the climate where they live ; and in every place Providence 
has wisely provided for their preservation, and for the supply of their 
necessities. 

The hours of the day vary, in different parts of the world, according 
to certain rules ; but all the zones have nearly the same number. 
There is scarcely any inhabited country which the sun favours longer 
with his presence than another. All the difference is, that they en- 



FEBRUARY XX. 95 



Equal distribution of the seasons. 



joy it at different times. As to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, 
their days and nights are always of an equal length ; while the neigh- 
bouring zones possess this equality but twice in the year. It is true^ 
that the sun quits them alternately, and gives summer to one part of 
the earth, Avhile he abandons the other to winter. But he never fails 
.0 return annually from one limit of his course to the other ; and if, 
during the winter, the days are not so long as the nights, for this the 
summer makes an ample recompense. If even in the frigid zones, 
the inhabitants are deprived, for some months, of Ihe light of the sun, 
they afterward enjoy it for nearly the same length of time ; and if 
they have a few hours less of day, they are amply recompensed by 
long twilights. 

Lord ! the earth is full of thy goodness. Thy righteousness 
extends to the heavens, and thy mercy reaches to the clouds. There 
is no country in the universe destitute of the proofs of thy love. 
There is no province of thy immense empire where thy kindness is 
not manifested. There is no creature, there is no man, which, in 
every season, may not taste and see that thou art good. . I rejoice, 
because I live under thy beneficent government ! I rejoice in the in- 
numerable blessings which thou hast scattered over all the earth for 
the welfare of thy creatures. Should not I wish that all my fellow- 
creatures throughout the world might- live as happy, as tranquil, and 
as contented as myself? Yes, thou knowest; thou, my God, who 
searchest my heart, knowest that I am neither so envious, nor self- 
interested, as t-o feel distress at the welfare of others, or not to wish 
them blessings equal to my own. O God of love ! grant that we may 
become more and more like unto thee ! As thou lovest all thy crea- 
tures, and there is no respect of persons with thee ; as thou dost to 
each all the good it is capable of receiving, kindle in our hearts a love 
as universal towards our fellow-creatures, that we may do them all 
the good in our power ; and send up unto thee our most ardent 
prayers for the happiness of all mankind 1 



FEBRUARY XXI. 

THE USE OF OUR SENSES. 

I HAVE senses ; that is to say, I am a being who, through the me- 
dium of several wonderful organs of my body, can procure myself a 
variety of sensations. By my eyes, I can acquire the perception of 
light and colours : by my ears, that of different sounds : by smelling 
and taste, that of agreeable or disagreeable savours and odours, 
of bitter and sweet, and other similar properties of the bodies I make 
use of. Finally, by feeling, I have the perception of hot and cold, 
wet and dry, soft, hard, &c. How miserable should I be, were I de- 
prived of the organs of sight, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feel- 
ing ! If I had no sight, how could I preserve myself from the many 



96 FEBRUARY XXI. 



Use of our senses. 



dangers which encompass me, or form a just idea of the magnificence 
of the heavens, the beauties of the country, and the many pleasing 
objects with which the earth abounds ? Without the faculty of hear- 
ing, how could I perceive the many dangers which threaten me at 
a distance ? How could I communicate my thoughts to others ? and 
how could I enjoy the harmony and charms of music? How could 
I, in my youth have acquired instructions at school, learnt languages, 
obtained ideas, the talent of reading, and so many other faculties 
which distinguish me so advantageously from the brute creation ? 
Had I been deprived of the organs of smelling and tastings how 
could I have distinguished my nourishment, or discerned the aliments 
which are wholesome from those that are injurious ? How could I 
enjoy the perfume of the spring, and a thousand objects which now 
afford me so many pleasing sensations? Finally, without the sense of, 
feelings how could I have been capable of discovering either in my 
food, or when sleeping or awake, what might be injurious tome ? And 
how should I be capable of watching over my own preservation ? " I 
cannot, therefore, rejoice in, and praise my God too much, that I can 
see, hear, feel, and speak. I adore my beneficent Creator ; I acknow- 
ledge and celebrate his bounty. My mouth shall glorify him in songs 
of praise and thanksgivings ; and my ears shall be attentive to that 
universal hymn which alt creatures sing to his honour." 

May I never forget the value of my senses, or make a bad use of 
them I O my Creator ! thou hast given them to me for the most noble 
purposes ! How much should I dishonour thy liberal kindness, and 
the wonderful structure of my body, should I employ my senses only 
in animal functions, without proposing to myself more exalted views ! 
How miserable should I be, if I sought my happiness only in the 
gratifications of the senses, and preferred this to the more sublime 
gratifications of the mind ! For a time shall come, in which my eyes 
shall be no more affected with the beauty of exterior objects : in 
which the harmonious sound of music shall no more please my ears : 
in which my palate shall no more relish the most exquisite viands, 
and the most delicious liquors. A. time shall come, in which my sen- 
ses shall find neither pleasure nor satisfaction in terrestrial things. 
How miserable should I then be, if I possessed nothing that could 
nourish my spirit, comfort my soul, and satisfy my desires ! Spirit of 
gtace, so direct and lead me, that in the use of my senses I may not 
lose sight of the great end of my existence I Grant that those organs 
may serve to glorify my Creator ; and that I may begin, here below, 
to habituate myself to those noble occupations in which I shall be 
employed in the kingdom of hcaveTi. 

At this moment, while I feel the happiness of having the proper 
use of all my senses, I should think of my brethren who have either 
their senses imperfect, or are wholly deprived of some of their or- 
gans. O ye blind, ye deaf, ye dumb ! I cannot see you without de- 
ploring your lot, and without acknowledging, more than ever, my own 



FEBRUARY XXI. 97 



Use of our senses. 



happiness ! Why is it, O my God, that I am not classed with these 
unhappy people ? How can I sufficiently testify my gratitude to thee 
for the perfection of my senses ! Pity those, O God, who, through the 
deficiency of those organs, are deprived of so much consolation ! If it 
be thy good pleasure, compensate them for these imperfections by 
other advantages ; and give them power to believe in thee, and to ex- 
pect, in the other world, a happy perfection of all that relates to both 
body and soul ! Amen. 



FEBRUARY XXII. 

ASPIRATIONS OF THE SOUL TO GOD. 

When I give up my heart to God, I begin to answer the end for 
which I have been placed in the world ; and enjoy a foretaste of that 
felicity which awaits me in heaven. How contemptible the vain 
amusements of the world appear to me, when my heart gets into the 
habit of seeking its happiness in God, through Christ ! How humble 
and mean do I appear in my ovt^n eyes, when I compare my m.eanness 
with the infinite majesty of God ! How is my natural pride confounded, 
when I lose myself, so to speak, in the ocean of the Divine perfec- 
tions ! and what ardent desires are there kindled in my heart for that 
happy day, when I shall be for ever united to the supreme and eternal 
Being ! * 

But am I so affected with the inestimable advantages which fre- 
quent meditation on God affords, as to form the resolution to employ 
myself in it as I ought ? Alas ! instead of employing my spirit with 
great and sublime objects, I too often fix my attention on earthly and 
perishing things I Instead of finding delight in meditating on my Cre- 
ator, I take pleasure often only in what gratifies my senses. Instead of 
serving that Being who possesses all possible excellence, and who 
alone can render me perfectly happy, I attach my heart to the earth, 
and become passionately fond of objects which can neither constitute my 
happiness, nor be long enjoyed. O that my past experience may make 
me wise for the time to come ! Hitherto I have only loved temporal 
blessings, and set my heart upon them. I have sought my peace and hap- 
piness in things which are even more frail and perishable than myself. 

But at present my eyes are opened, through the grace of God. I 
contemplate a Being, the source of all perfection, who has formed me 
out of nothing, and given me a soul whose desires cannot be satisfied 
but by an infinite good. This is the Being to whom I consecrate my 
heart, giving myself up to him without reserve, and for ever. In 
him alone I will henceforth seek my comfort. These earthly goods, 
which I have hitherto had the imprudence to prefer to heavenly 
blessings, I will exchange for real and solid advantages ; and, seeing 
it is the design of my Creator, I will use the former, but without ever 
preferring them to the. love of my God. On the contrary, every 

13 



98 FEBRUARY XXlI. 



Aspirations of the soul to God. 



creature shall afford me an opportunity to ascend to my Creator ; and 
shall excite me to bless the goodness of him, who has given a power 
to earthly things to cheer my soul, and strengthen m.y body. When 
I enjoy any outward good, I will say to myself, if I feel so much 
sweetness in the enjoyment of the good things of this life ; if, know- 
ing only a small part of the works of God, that knowledge is now so 
pleasing to me, how happy shall I be when I possess God himself ! 
How great is the felicity of his saints, who see him as he is, and live 
continually in blessed communion with him ! If the pleasures which 
cannot be relished but through the medium of a frail, perishable 
body, can affect my mind so agreeably, how ecstatic must those de- 
lights be, which I am to enjoy without the encumbrance of this 
earthly tabernacle ! What ineffable sensations shall I experience, 
when my spirit, freed from its fetters, shall be able to contemplate, at 
full liberty, the face of the Lord ! If the small rivulets here below 
are so pleasant, what must the source be whence they flow? If one 
ray of light be so vivifying, what must the sun himself be ? If, even 
in this world, God is so admirable in his works, what must he be in 
the world to come ! Oh ! how I long to enjoy this felicity in the pos- 
session of my God ! Run rapidly by, ye days of darkness, which I 
must pass here below ! Ye hours, which retard the happy moments in 
which I shall gain a more perfect knowledge of my God, hasten your 
flight ! O day, without clouds or darkness, in which my soul, freed 
from the burthen of this gross body, shall take its flight, and ascend 
beyond all these stars, to adore Jehovah at the foot of his throne, 
blessed day, so earnestly desired, hasten thy appearance I 



FEBRUARY XXIIL 

CAUSES OF HEAT AND COLD. 

WiiErsCE proceeds the transition from extreme heat to the most 
intense cold ? By what means does nature bring about these revolu- 
tions ? It is indisputable, that the temperature of the atmosphere du- 
ring the winter depends on the situation of the sun. For when our 
globe, in its annual course round the sun, is so placed that its northern 
hemisphere is turned away from it, so that its rays fall in a very 
oblique manner on those parts ; and when the sun is but a few hours 
above our horizon, it is impossible that these rays should produce 
much heat. But the heat does not entirely depend on the situation, 
or distance of the sun. That luminary passes annually thfough the 
same constellations : and is not farther from us in one winter than in 
another. Nevertheless, the degrees of cold in our winters, are very 
different. Some winters are as mild as autumn ; in others, deep seas 
are frozen up ; and men and other animals find it difhcult to defend 
themselves against the cold. 



FEBRUARY XXIII. m 



Causes of heat and cold. 



Even in those countries where, during the whole year, their days 
and nights are nearly equal, the heat of the sun is not strong enough 
to dissolve the snoAv on the tops of mountains. The most intense 
winter reigns on their ridges, whilst the most scorching summer pre- 
vails at their bases, although the same rays fall equally on the ridges 
and bases of these mountains. Were the sun the alone cause of 
heat and cold, the phenomena would be inexplicable. 

Nature is rich in expedients ; and a thousand causes which are per- 
haps unknown to us, second her operations. But we know, at least, 
that the constitution of the atmosphere, and the winds, have a great 
effect on the heat and cold of a country. Hence it is, that sometimes, 
in the longest days of summer, it is cold, when the atmosphere is 
laden with thick vapours ; when the sky has been, for a long time, 
covered with clouds ; and when the north wind blows strongly. 
Hence, even in winter, the cold is sometimes not so intense, when 
the south wind brings us a warm air. The soil of a country con- 
tributes much to its coldness or warmth. For instance, in Siberia, 
where the earth is full of nitre, and different salts, it is always colder 
than in countries nearer to the pole, and where the rays of the sun 
fall more obliquely. The natural warmth of the earth, and internal 
heat sometimes, cause great variations in the temperature of the air 
in different countries. 

These causes, and perhaps many more unknown to us, occasion the 
vicissitudes of heat and cold upon the earth. But who can under- 
stand all the springs of the great machine of the universe, or explain 
their different effects ? The greater part of the phenomena puzzle 
and confound us ; and we are obliged to acknowledge^ that all the 
sagacity of the most eminent philosophers is incapable of penetrating 
the depth of nature. We see but a part, and perhaps the smallest 
part, of its operations ; and it is certainly for wise reasons, that the 
Creator has hidden from us the causes of so many effects in the king- 
doms of nature and providence. He designs by this to teach us to 
contemplate ourselves. What would it avail us to have the most 
accurate knowledge of nature, if we neglected the knowledge and 
sanctification of our own hearts ? We know enough of nature to be 
happy, wise, and contented. Perhaps a greater knowledge of it might 
puff us up; perhaps it might disturb our repose, and cause us to for- 
get God. Let us endeavour to make a good use of the little we know, 
that we may the better glorify the Supreme Being, by becoming more 
holy. If, after all our researches, and all other meditations many 
things still remain veiled from our eyes, let us draw this conclusion 
from the whole, that the wisdom of God surpasses all our conceptions ; 
that it is infinite, that our understanding is limited. And thus, under 
a conviction of our weakness and insignificancy, we shall feel it our 
greatest duty to humble ourselves, and to adore the Most High. 



100 FEBRUARY XXIV. 



Singularities in the mineral kingdom. 



FEBRUARY XXIV. 

SINGULARITIES IN THE MINERAL KINGDOM. 

It would be difficult, not to say impossible, for our weak and con- 
tracted understanding to comprehend at once, the whole empire of 
nature ; and to conceive, at once, the whole detail of the wonderful 
properties of natural things. We shall arrive more easily at this 
knowledge, if we begin with certain detached objects, some particu- 
lar beauties ; and employ ourselves first with the more sensible phe- 
nomena. Let us consider, at present, some curiosities of the mineral 
kingdom ; and we shall discover in them, as every w'here else, proofs 
of the infinite wisdom of God. 

Among stones, none merits our attention more than the loadstone. 
When suspended, it turns itself so that it constantly points north and 
south ; and in those two ends which we call its poles, its greatest at- 
tractive virtue resides. What is very particular is, it attracts nothing 
but iron. If we take two loadstones , we shall find that the two oppo- 
site poles, viz. the north and south, attract each other : whereas, the 
poles of the same denomination, viz. the two south, or the two north 
poles, repel each other. 

We find properties in quicksilver equally wonderful. It will assume 
any form you please ; but it always ends by resuming its own natural 
one. In the fire it rises up in vapours ; and when it is shaken a 
long time, it changes into dust. By being dissolved, it may become a 
hard and transparent crystal; but it can easily be restored to its for- 
mer fluid state. 

Gold is the first and most precious of the metals : not only because 
it is heaviest, {platina excepted) but because of its wonderful proper- 
ties. It is the hardest and most unalterable of all bodies ; so that it 
can stand the action of the hottest fire for months together, without 
any change in its nature, or the loss of the smallest portion of its weight. 
Its particles are so fine, that one grain of gold may be beaten out so 
as to cover 50 square inches : and the naked eye may discover on the 
two surfaces thus covered, four millions of particles. Its ductility also 
is such, that one grain may be drawn out into a thread 500 feet long, 
and is divisible into 23,400,000 parts perfectly distinguishable by the 
eye. 

The wonderful form of common salt — brilliant stones — singular 
figures of earth where metals are hidden — petrified bodies, which 
are often found on the highest mountains, some hundreds of miles 
from the sea, where they had their origin — and a hundred other sin- 
gularities of the mineral kingdom, seem to be formed to waken our 
curiosity. 

No occupation whatever has so many charms ; is so satisfactory, 
or affords more diversified pleasures, than the attentive contemplation 
of nature. Supposing we were to live some centuries upon the 
earth, and that we should employ each day, each hour, in the study 



FEBRUARY XXIV. 101 



Singularities in the mineral kingdom. 



of the singularities and phenomena of the mineral kingdom ; even at 
the end of this time, there would be found a thousand things which 
we could not explain, which would still be hidden from us, and 
which would excite our curiosity more and more. But, as the 
duration of our life scarcely extends to half a century, let us employ 
a little of that time which is granted unto us, and consecrate it, as far 
as our other duties will admit, to the observation of nature : and 
thus afford our minds the most durable and innocent pleasure. The 
satisfaction which we shall find in it will increase more and more, in 
proportion as we take care to meditate on the design which God 
proposes to himself in his works ; for the works of nature are in- 
comparably more wonderful and sublime than all the productions of 
human art. These do not always promote our welfare, or render us 
better : often they are only the objects of a fruitless admiration. 
But all the works of nature, even the most singular, have for their 
object the universal good. They exist, not only to be seen, but also 
to be enjoyed. And all, without exception, proclaim the goodness, 
as well as the wisdom, of God ! 



FEBRUARY XXV. 

DAILY AND EXPERIMENTAL PROOFS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

Do we wish to enumerate the blessings we have received from the 
mercy of God since the first moment of our existence to the pre- 
sent time ? — Can we count the stars ? — Can we number the blessings 
which we have received even in a single year ? — How then can we 
enumerate those which God has heaped upon us in the course, per- 
haps, of a long life ? How many mercies have we receiyed in our in- 
fancy, which are now forgotten ! Nights passed quietly in sweet sleep ; 
food by which our bodies have been refreshed and strengthened ? — 
From how many dangers, seen and unseen, have we been delivered ! 
How often has God provided for our wants, and confounded our un- 
belief, which considered the relief impossible ! In every accident, 
the eye of God has watched orer and preserved us. Every day of 
our life has increased the sun of God's mercies to us. ^ His^ goodness 
is renewed to us as often as the sun begins and ends his daily course. 
And who can tell how often God has granted him mercies, of which 
he is still ignorant, and preserved him from perils which he knew 
not of, and of which he can only be informed in the v/orld to come ! 

And, what shall we say of the blessings of grace ! We have been 
redeemed by Christ Jesus : the way of salvation is made plain to us 
by his Gospel. What a mercy it is, that we have not been born in 
the darkness of Paganism, but in the light of Christanity ! and that 
God incessantly labours to sanctify and perfect us in love ! Are not 
all these proofs of his goodness, and of his tender compassion ? 



102 FEBRUARY XXV, 



Daily proofs of divine providence. 



Taking it for granted that it is impossible for any one to calculate 
the immense series of God's mercies during the course of his life ; 
let us confine ourselves to a single day, and endeavour to sum up the 
blessings which one day brings with it. Light, air, food, strength to 
labour, the house we dwell in, the relations on which our happiness 
depends, the different amusements, and varied pleasures of life. Let 
lis not forget the power by which we respire, nor think it a matter 
of little consequence. On respiration the preservation of our life 
depends. We respire, at least, twelve times in a minute : then, each 
minute brings twelve blessings, each of which is so essential, that 
without it, we could never receive another. With respiration, God 
preserves our understanding, will^ and the several members of our 
bodies. Let us suppose, that in each minute our soul performs only 
thirty operations, and only reckon, according to the calculations of 
physicians, 6000 different parts in our bodies, which God every mo- 
ment supports : and what wonders of preservation do we not dis- 
cover ! For, according to this calculation, we receive every minute 
from God 12 blessings relative to respiration ; 30 relative to our un- 
derstanding, and will ; and 6000 relative to the different parts of our 
bodies : consequently, God grants us each minute, 6042 blessings, 
which will amount to 362,520 every hour of our life ! 

May these daily proofs of the providence and goodness of our 
God, make the deepest and most durable impression upon our hearts ! 
and they certainly will, if our souls be susceptible of gratitude at all. 
Yes I if we have any adequate sense of the greatness of God's mer- 
cy, and our own unworthiness, it is impossible that we should not 
feel the most lively gratitude to the Preserver of our life. 

But, in order to maintain a lively sense of God's benefits in our 
hearts, let us often endeavour to compute them. The more we em- 
ploy ourselves thus, the more we shall be disposed to magnify the 
Lord our God, and the more shall we be delighted in celebrating his 
praise ! 



FEBRUARY XXVI. 

TRANQUILLITY OF THE NIGHT. 

How can we think, Avithout admiration and gratitude, on the tender 
care of Providence to secure our repose during the absence of the 
day ? As soon as night comes on, a calm is diffused over all nature, 
which proclaims to all creatures a rest from their labours, and invites 
man to sleep. During the time that men sleep, nature, in their be- 
half, suspends noise, vivid light, and all such impressions as might 
keep the senses in action. The animals, whose activity might disturb 
our repose, have themselves need of rest. Birds seek their nests, 
the ox, the horse, and our other domestic animals, sleep around us, 



FEBRUARY XXVI. 103 



Tranquillity of the Night. 



But this tranquillity of the night is not equally pleasing- to all. 
Many, who through pain, sickness, and other accidents, pass sleepless 
nights, wish this melancholy silence interrupted. Their sufferings 
and uneasiness increase, while others are asleep around them : they 
count the hours, and long for the day, in hopes that society will bring 
them some relief. Many wicked people, who pass the day in continual 
riot and dissipation, find the tranquillity of the night tedious and 
troublesome : it awakens their conscience, and the least noise ter- 
rifies them. 

Let us praise the Lord for granting us the pleasing and refreshing 
repose of the night. If we enjoy health of body and peace of mind, 
our sleep will be sweet. When we have gone through the labour of 
the day, the arrival of the night should cause us to adore that good- 
ness which has disposed every thing so well to procure us a com- 
fortable repose. We lie down in tranquillity, while thieves arise to 
walk in the dark paths of injustice and rapine. We sleep in peace, 
while so many sick persons, stretched on beds of misery and distress, 
long for sleep, and would esteem the shortest slumber a great favour, 
but cannot obtain it. We enjoy refreshing sleep, while the glutton is 
surcharging himself with meat and drink, the miser tormenting him- 
self with anxious cares, and the fear of one day lacking the necessa- 
ries of life ; while the discontented and ambitious man ponders in his 
mind schemes of elevation and grandeur for the remotest period of 
life. 

But how often is the tranquillity of the night interrupted by levity or 
wickedness ! the drunkard's song, and the furious joy of the libertine, 
often disturb the repose of peaceable citizens, and deprive them of 
the blessings of sleep. Ought we not to esteem that order which 
God has so wisely established in nature, so as not to disturb it by the 
levity of our hearts ? Ought we not so to love our fellow creatures, 
as not to deprive them of that sleep which is necessary, not only to 
their health, but to their life itself? Alas ! this ill-timed noise may, in 
one place, disturb a dying person : in another, affright a woman in la- 
bour ; or terrify a mother who is suckling her child. 

The rest which we expect in the grave will be very different ; 
there we shall sleep in peace, and shall not be awaked out of slumber, 
till the voice of the Judge calls us into life. " How happy are the 
believers whom death has conducted to God ! They have escaped all 
the miseries to which we are still subject in this world. Here the 
most comfortable life is spent in alternate hopes and fears ; and our 
repose is disturbed by innumerable pains and anxieties. The righteous, 
on the contrary, whose bodies rest quietly in the grave, are delivered 
from all misery and care ; sorrow or pain shall never more imbitter 
their joy." 



104 FEBRUARY XXVIL 



Winter is an emblem of life. 



FEBRUARY XXVII. 

WINTER IS AN EMBLEM OF LIFE. 

In these winter days there are continual changes. Flakes of snow, 
and showers of rain ; storms and calms ; cloudy days, and a clear sky, 
succeed each other. The snow has no gooner covered nature with its 
splendid garb, than the rain comes and destroys it. Scarcely has the 
sun shown himself when he again disappears. And are there no 
similar variations in the moral world ? If many of the winter days are 
dark, tedious, and dismal ; many scenes of our life are equally so. 
But, as tempests and darkness are necessary, and conformable to the 
wise laws of nature ; it is the same with the disagreeable occurrences, 
and the adversity, which we sometimes meet with in this world. 

Who can prevent the day from being obscured by dark clouds ; or 
our happiness from being disturbed, sometimes by men, and some- 
times by accidents ? Is it possible that the sky should be always calm 
and serene ; or that our minds should enjoy an uninterrupted repose ? 
The present constitution of our nature will as little admit of our being 
always free from grief and disagreeable sensations as the constitution 
of the corporeal world will admit of the air never being loaded with 
clouds. Passions, which sometimes produce good effects, but oftener 
bad ones, are precisely the same in the moral world that tempests are 
in nature. And, as the winter and its fogs are a source of fertility ; 
so also sufferings and afflictions are often the means of acquiring wisdom 
and virtue. Darkness shows us the value of light : a continual bright- 
ness would dazzle and fatigue our eyes. A clear day never gives us 
so much pleasure as when cloudy and gloomy days have preceded it. 
In like manner, we should not properly value health, if we were not 
taught its worth by the painful experience of sickness. The excel- 
lence and advantages of friendship would never have been so fully 
known by us, if we had never met with false and deceitful friends. 

After all, it is certain that we are too apt to exaggerate our evils : 
the events of the world, and the accidents which happen to us, are 
rarely so afflictive as we describe them. Our self-love, our pride, and 
our extreme delicacy, blind us to such a degree, that we account all 
unpleasant occurrences as real and considerable evils ; whilst, on the 
contrary, we take little notice of our real advantages, and the sweets 
which attend us through life. It is nevertheless certain, that all our 
troubles should be esteemed nothing, in comparison of the multitude 
of blessings and pleasures which are dispensed to us by the Divine 
Providence. And even those miseries of which we complain, would 
become real, though disguised benefits, if we knew how to make a 
proper use of them, according to the precepts of wisdom; just as the 
snow, the tempest, the frost, and the changes of the present season, 
are the very means which God employs to bestow new favours upon 
us. When the sky has been a long time gloomy ; the clouds must 
finally disperse, and calm weather and sunshine bring back joy and 



FEBRIjAKY XXVII. 105 

Winter an emblem of life. 

gladness. The heavier the showers are, the sooner the clouds are 
drained : the darker they are, the sooner the rays of the sun dis- 
perse them. Adversity occupies but a small portion of our life ; and 
when it appears the most oppressive ; when we think we are about 
to be overwhelmed by it, it is a proof that it is near an end. 

I will therefore receive, Vv'ithout murmuring, that portion of afflic- 
tion which it shall please God to allot me. I should be very unrea- 
sonable, if I required pleasure, and days of happiness only. No, my 
Lord, let rain and the rays of the sun, darkness and light, alternately 
succeed each other during the course of my life ; I hope to be re- 
signed to it. And, if thou shouldst think proper to shake my heart 
with the storms of adversity, thy will be done ! " What matters it, 
that the cup which is presented to me, be more or less bitter ; that my 
troubles be more or less durable, while I am on this side the grave ; 
I know in whom I have believed : I know, O my God, that thou wilt 
one day bring me to thy eternal glory. Those who sow in tears, 
shall reap in joy. When the short sufferings of this life are passed 
away, I shall see how advantageous they have been ; and shall bless 
God for having taken me through much tribulation into the kingdom 
of heaven." 

These considerations will support me under my afflictions. As the 
expectation of the spring renders the melancholy appearance of winter 
tolerable, the pleasing hope of eternity shall encourage me to bear, 
with resignation and courage, the sufferings of the present life. 
Through the darkness of this life the delightful prospect of a happy 
futurity opens to my view. What I already see of eternity, casts 
some rays of light on the path in which I walk : and thus I shall ar- 
rive, imperceptibly, at the blessed abode of rest, light, and joy. 



FEBRUARY XXVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF MOUNTAINS. 

Would it not be of more advantage to our globe, were the surface 
more even ; and were it not disfigured by so many enormous moun- 
tains ? We have sometimes thought, if the form of the earth had 
been more regular, had its surface been but one vast plain, that our 
sight might have extended further, we should have travelled with 
much more convenience, and have enjoyed a hundred other advanta- 
ges. But we are probably deceived in thinking thus. Let us endea- 
vour then to discover the truth, and reflect on the utility of moun- 
tains, to see whether we have any reason to be discontented with the 
present arrangement of our globe. 

First, It is evident, that from mountains and hills those springs 
flow, which are produced either by abundant snows, or by the clouds 
with which their tops are always covered : and it is these that feed 
brooks and rivers. 

14 



106 FEBRUARY XXVIII. 



Utility of mountains. 



2. Those ridges of high mountains, which extend from east to 
west over a vast tract of country, serve to prevent the dissipation of 
the vapours, and to condense them into water. They are therefore 
as so many alembics, which prepare and purify the water for the ser- 
vice of men and beasts ; and by their declivities they give a mode- 
rate fall to the springs, which flowing thence, water and fertilize the 
vallies. 3. Besides this inestimable advantage of fountains and 
springs which mountains afford us, there are many others not less re- 
markable. They are the habitations of various kinds of animals, 
which are of great use to us. 4. They furnish, without any expense 
to us, nourishment and support for a multitude of beasts w^^hich are 
very profitable to us, both by their flesh and by their skins. 5. An 
innumerable multitude of trees, plants, herbs, and medicinal roots 
grow on the sides of mountains, which we cannot cultivate in our 
plains ; or which, if cultivated there, would not possess the same 
virtues. 6. In the bowels of mountains, metals and minerals are 
formed ; the generation of which could not be so well carried on in 
a low and level country, where they could not find a sufficiency of 
moisture. 

7. Mountains serve also to shelter us from the cold and piercing 
blasts of the north and east winds. They are the fosterers of the 
most exquisite vines, their bowels contain precious stones ; they are, 
so to speak, the bulwarks of nature to preserve us from the fury of 
the winds and the waves : and like ramparts and natural fortifications, 
they defend many states from hostile invasion, and from the ambition 
of conquerors. 8. Probably, they preserve the equilibrium of our 
globe ; but however this may be, they are a species of amphitheatres, 
which afford us the most delightful prospects, and are to houses, and 
even whole cities, the most delightful situations. 

It is true, that some mountains are formidable and dangerous : they 
occasion terrible earthquakes and volcanoes, which scatter flames and 
desolation around. But we should consider, that as sulphur, nitre, 
and other minerals, not only contribute to the fertility of the earth ; 
but are also necessary to the life of all sorts of plants, it was requisite 
that there should be a kind of universal magazine where these ma- 
terials might be deposited, that they might be distributed by the air 
and winds over the surface of the earth. And, although they may be 
the cause of some inconveniences, yet these can furnish no reasona- 
ble objection against the wisdom and goodness of God ; seeing the 
good they produce is infinitely beyond all the evils which can result 
from them. 

In this respect, we have no cause to complain of the formation of 
our globe. Were there no mountains, we should be deprived of 
many useful stones and fossils : there would be neither rivers, foun- 
tains, nor lakes ; the sea itself would become a stagnated marsh ; we 
should be entirely destitute of a great number of the most beautiful 
and wholesome plants, and many species of animals ; and the priva- 
tion of one of these things, might render our life gloomy and misera- 



FEBRUARY XXVIII. 107 

Utility of mountains, 

ble. Let us, therefore, conclude, that mountains as well as all other 
creations, announce the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Most 
High. 

Lord God Almighty I we adore thee, and acknowledge, with the 
most profound veneration, the wonders of thy wisdom ! All that 
exists, all that thou hast created, from the smallest particle of sand 
to the highest mountain, all is well combined, all is in harmony, and 
all is pregnant wiih advantages to mankind. On the heights, as well 
as in the depths ; on the mountains, as well as in the vallies : above 
the earth as well as under it, thou showest thyself the glorious bene- 
factor of thy creatures. Lord our God, we will bless thy name for 
ever and ever ! 



FEBRUARY XXIX. 

MOTIVES FOR CONFIDENCE IN GOD. 

When I reflect on the infinite perfections which manifest themselves 
in the arrangement of the universe, and in the manner in which God 
conducts and governs the whole, my confidence in him must neces- 
sarily increase, and be strengthened more and more. How satisfied 
should I be concerning my lot, seeing it is in the hands of this great 
Being, of whose power, wisdom, and goodness, I have as many proofs 
as there are creatures before me ! What wishes can I form for my 
happiness, which cannot be fulfilled by this God, whose unbounded 
power has drawn so many thousands of worlds out of nothing? Can I 
be in any trouble, embarrassment, or perplexity, from which I may 
not be happily delivered by that infinite wisdom, which has stretched 
out the heavens ; and which has formed all creatures in so wonderful 
a manner ? Who can prevent my casting my burthen upon the Lord ? 
Who can hinder me from having recourse to him, in all my troubles 
and distresses ; or from hoping that he will hear my prayer ? It is 
true, I am a very weak creature ; I lose myself in the immiense multi- 
tude of his works : and when I meditate on his grandeur, and the infinite 
extent of his governm.ent, I often say to myself : " Who am I that I 
should dare to hope that this Supreme Being will alwa3''s condescend to 
hear me ? or that he should fix his attention upon me as frequently as 
my perplexities oblige me to have recourse to him?" But, on the 
other hand, I console myself, that his greatness, his majesty, and the 
government of so many thousand worlds do not prevent him from ex- 
tending his cares to the very least worm : what then should prevent 
his paying some attention to me, who, little and weak as I may be, 
have received from him as a man, and as a Christian, prerogatives so 
much superior to those of all other creatures. 

But my conscience stops me here, and objects, that I am a tinner : 
that I have a thousand, and a thousand times wilfully transgressed the 
commands of my Creator and Master; and am consequently more un- 



108 FEBRUARY XXIX. 



Motives for confidence in God. 



worthy of his kindness than the most abject creatures ; for they have 
not offended him, and could never be guihy of iniquity against him. 
My conscience also paints the justice of God in such strong colours, as 
all his works do his power and goodness, that it causes me to fear he 
will employ this power to make me a terrible example of his vengeance 
in the sight of the whole world. And, it is true, that in the whole 
creation, let me turn to whatsoever side I may, I can find nothing that 
can deliver me from these terrible thoughts, tranquillize my disturbed 
heart, or give me a well-founded subject for consolation. 

But here the saving truth of the Gospel com.es to my assistance. 
Eternal praises be rendered to thee, O my loving Redeemer ! Those 
views of God, which, without thee, could bring only trouble and distress 
into my soul, are become, through thy sufferings and death, a source 
of consolation and joy. It is through thee alone that I can lookup to 
this God, whose grandeur and magnificence all creatures proclaim ; — 
that I can, I say, consider him as my Father, put my confidence in him, 
and expect happiness from him, not only in this life, but also in the 
world to come. Now, the world appears to me in all its beauty. 
What a ravishing prospect opens before me ! If the earth be full of 
the goodness of the Lord, heaven will be infinitely more so. It is there 
that I shall be completely satisfied with the blessings of his love ; 
there, his infinite wisdom shall appear to my eyes in all its splendour : 
there, with a more penetrating, and better eye, I shall be able to 
fathom the wonders of the creation ; contemplate more nearly, the 
grandeur, pomp, and beauty of so many other worlds, of which, 
through the weakness of my sight, and the imperfection of my under- 
standing, I can at present take up a transient glance. Then my heart 
shall be filled with sentiments of veneration, love, and gratitude. Then 
my mouth shall celebrate, in the noblest accents, the everlasting praises 
of my Creator. Lord, thou art worthy to receive glory, honour, and 
power ; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are 
and were created. 



MARCH. 

MARCH I. 

AN INVITATION TO CONTEMPLATE GOD IN THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

O YE who with me adore the Lord, by whom the heavens and the 
earth were made, come and consider his works; behold the won- 
ders he has wrought ; and acknowledge his kindness with heartfelt 
gratitude. This, of all the knowledge we can acquire, is the most 



MARCH I. 109 



Invitation to contemplate God in the works of nature. 



important, the most pleasing and the most easy. We could well dis- 
pense with many sciences which we take pains to learn; but the 
knowledge of God and his works is absolutely indispensable, if we 
wish to fulfil the design of our creation, and secure our present and 
eternal felicity. Doubtless we do well to seek to know God, as he 
is revealed to us in his divine word ; but we cannot well embrace 
this revelation with full conviction of heart, unless we join to it that 
other revelation by which he manifests himself in nature, as the 
Creator of all that exists ; as our Lord, our Father, and our Benefac- 
tor. This is a good preparation to know and receive the Gospel of 
Christ. Hence the divine Redeemer, when instructing his disciples 
in the truths of his religion, spoke often to them of the works of na- 
ture, and made use of those objects which the natural and moral v^^orld 
presented to him; and to lead his hearers to the contemplation of spi- 
ritual and celestial things. 

In general, it is a noble employment, and highly becoming man, to 
study the book of nature ; and to learn from it those truths which 
proclaim to us the immense grandeur of God, and our o\^ti littleness ; 
his benefits, and the obligations they lay us under. It is always dis- 
graceful to man to be inattentive to the wonders which every where 
surround him ; and to be as little affected by them as the beasts 
that perish. If we have been endued with reason, it is that we might 
use it to God's glory, by examining his perfections in his works. 
And what more agreeable employment can the human spirit have, 
than to meditate on the admirable works of the Most High ; than to 
contemplate in heaven, in earth, in the waters, in the day, and the 
night, in a word, in universal nature, in all that exists, the wisdom, 
power, and goodness of the Creator and Preserver I "What can we 
conceive more delightful than to discover, in all the creation, in all the 
kingdoms of nature, in every thing that presents itself to our view, 
the footsteps of Providence ; and the tender care of the Father of 
all beings ? There are no amusements, no worldly joys, of which 
we are not soon tired : but the pleasure which is tasted in the con- 
templation of God's works is always fresh, always new. And, though 
we should meditate thousands of years upon God and his works, our 
spirit would be so far from being fatigued with the subject, that, on 
the contrary, we should ever find new charms in it. And in this 
light it is that I often represent to myself the felicity of the saints in 
heaven. I ardently long to be among them, because I am persuaded 
ihat it is among them, in commerce with the blessed, that the insatia- 
ble desire to grow in wisdom, and constantly to acquire new ideas, can 
be fully gratified. 

But whilst w^e are at a distance from this happiness, let us en- 
deavour at least to come as near to it as possible, by habituating our- 
selves now to what the employment of angels and glorified saints 
shall be through all eternity. Let us adore God in his marvellous 
works ; let us endeavour to know him more and more : let us reflect 
on his greatness, admire his power and wisdom in each of his crea= 



110 MARCH I. 



Invitation to contennplate God in the works of nature. 



tiires ; and consider, in every season of the year, his tender concern 
for all that exists. This employment will tend to make us not only 
the most happy, but the most virtuous of men. For if we have God 
and his works constantly before our eyes, with what love and venera- 
tion for him shall we be penetrated ; with what humility shall we 
serve him ; with what confidence shall we trust all we have in his 
hands ; with what zeal, and transports of joy, shall we sing his praises ! 
O God ! who art so worthy of all our homage, may we henceforth 
incessantly contemplate, with gratitude and admiration, the wonders 
of thy wisdom and power with which thou hast filled the universe ! 
May we, on the ladder of created being, mount from earth to heaven 
to know and taste how good thou art ! Let all that is within, all that 
is without us, serve to lead us unto thee, the first principle of all things ; 
and may every thing contribute to inflame our love and piety more 
and more I These, O heavenly Father, are the engagements we 
should enter into in the face of heaven and earth ; in the presence 
of all the creatures thou hast formed. The sun which enlightens us, 
the air which we breathe, the earth which feeds and sustains us, uni- 
versal nature, which thou hast so wisely ordained to satisfy our wants, 
and to give us pleasure, shall one day rise as witnesses against us, if 
we neglect to contemplate and admire thy works. 



MARCH II. 

BAD WEATHER. 

Nature .is yet deprived of her ornaments ; her aspect is wild and 
dismal ; the sky is covered with thick clouds ; and the atmosphere is 
loaded with snow and thick vapours. The mornings are wrapped up 
in impenetrable fogs, which deprive us of a view of the rising sun : 
just as he has shown himself, gloomy and stormy clouds arise, and 
prevent the earth from feeling his benign influence. How little 
warmth does he give ! Scarcely an herb dares to show itself above 
ground : all is still dead, without elegance, without charms. 

** When shall the lovely spring appear ? When shall those fine 
days arrive when the first flowers shall invite^us to visit the fields and 
gardens .^" Doubtless, many use this kind of language, and bear impa- 
tiently the gloomy days of March. But let us consider, that this 
very temperature of the air which afiiicts us, contributes to the per- 
fection of the whole ; and enters into the plan of that government 
which God has marked out. Were it not for these days, which ap- 
pear so disagreeable to us, all the hopes which we have of summer 
would vanish away. Tempests are blessings in nature ; and the frosts 
are the means which she makes use of to fertilize the earth. If the 
air were at present more moderate, and the days finer, millions of in- 
sects would be hatched, which would be very injurious to the seed 



MARCH II. Ill 



Bad weather. 



already sown, and to the buds of jflowers. To what injuries also 
would those buds be exposed, which mild weather brings forth, should 
there afterward come any frost? But such is our ignorance and 
blindness, that we murmur against God, when we should bless and 
adore him : and we consider those things as imperfections, which 
should cause us to acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of our Cre- 
ator. In general, we know not what we ask, nor what we wish : and 
to punish us sufficiently for our indiscreet and unreasonable prayers, 
God has only to grant them. 

If the spring now displayed all its charms, how many of the follow- 
ing days would lose all their excellence ? How soon should we be 
weary of rain, and how speedy the transition would be from intense 
cold to extraordinary heat ! and how injurious this to our health ! It 
is a blessing of God, a blessing of which, with many others, we are 
regardless, that spring comes imperceptibly. Its delay keeps us in a 
most pleasing expectation ; and our satisfaction is the greater when it 
comes. The rough and stormy month of March, is the remains of the 
severity of winter ; it prepares us for the enjoyment of fine weather: 
and it is the forerunner of that delightful calm which the spring dif- 
fuses over our fields. 

Therefore, O God, I will exalt and bless thee in these stormy days ; 
I will persuade myself more and more that thy government is both 
wise and good. I rejoice, that in all times, and in all seasons ; in 
storms and in calms : in snows and in rains, as well as in the finest 
weather, thou art invariably my Father, my Preserver, and my Bene- 
factor. The present uncomfortable days will, in a short time, be suc- 
ceeded by the lovely days of spring. After all, I cannot reasonably 
expect to have only fair and pleasant hours in this world : my whole 
life is like the present season ; and what, in fact, is life, but a continual 
vicissitude of pleasant and disagreeable days ? 



MARCH III. 

THE STATE OF CERTAIN ANIMALS DURING WINTER. 

At present we do not see one of those insects or birds, millions of 
which live during the summer, in the air, on the earth, and in the 
water. At the approach of winter, they retire from our climate, the 
temperature of which no longer agrees with them ; and in which they 
can no longer find proper nourishment. The first stormy day is the 
signal which obliges them to cease from, their labours, and to quit their 
homes. We are mistaken, if we imagine that the winter destroys these 
animals : even in that season they continue to live. Providence takes 
care that none of them shall perish. The bodies of some animals are 
so formed, that the same causes which deprive them of their aliment, 
make such changes in them as render nourishment unnecessary. The 
cold benumbs them, they fall into a profound sleep, which continues 



112 MARCH III. 



State of certain animals during winter. 



till the returning warmth opens the earth, and causes the things neces- 
sary for their support to spring up : then they awake from their sleep. 
These animals hide themselves in the sand, in holes, in bottoms of 
ponds, in marshes, where they cannot be found out, nor their repose 
disturbed. In such places, their state is a species of death, or, rather, 
a kind of swoon ; nor are they reanimated, till the gentle heat of 
spring penetrates into their retreats. Some sorts of birds, at the ap- 
proach of winter, undertake long journeys, to seek, in other climates, 
a more temperate air, and suitable food. Some fly in flocks from one 
country to another ; many go into Africa, crossing the Mediterranean 
Sea, and return to our countries in the ensuing spring. 

Lord, how admirable is thy wisdom ! how tender and beneficent thy 
care toward the least of thy creatures ! Thou hast impressed on the 
mind of certain animals that wonderful instinct which informs them of 
the day in which they should abandon their summer residence in or- 
der to pass the winter in a more favourable clime. Thou hast point- 
ed out to others where they may securely pass the night of winter in 
deep sleep ; and thou dost reanimate them, when the time for their 
new life is come ! 

As often as I reflect on these revolutions, they lead me naturally to 
think of what will happen to myself at death ; because, in fact, my 
state then will, in some measure, resemble that of the birds. When 
the time of my death arrives, I also shall abandon my abode, my plea- 
sures, and my friends, and pass into a better world. My body also 
shall sleep for a time, but in the moment of my new creation, I shall 
awake, and clothed with the strength and beauty of youth, I shall be- 
gin a life which shall never end. 

What happens to these animals furnishes me with another edifying 
reflection. I see how God watches over the smallest link of the vast 
chain of beings, I discover with what paternal bounty he provides 
for the support of the weakest and most despicable creatures, by pre- 
serving them in such circumstances, where the human imagination 
must think their preservation impossible. Would it not be doing 
injustice to the wise providence of my Creator, to doubt his care 
towards me, and to abandon myself to trouble and anxiety, concerning 
my subsistence ? Certainly, that God who gives birds and insects their 
nourishment in due season : who provides them retreats and rest- 
ing places in the holes of the earth, and in the clefts of rocks ; 
who guides them to seek their food in distant countries ; this same God 
will also take care of me, and will not abandon me in times of poverty 
and dearth. Should I not have the strongest confidence that he will 
provide what is necessary for my support, even when I may see the 
smallest likelihood of it ? and believe that however treated or ne- 
glected by man, he will not fail to find me a place of refuge, where I 
may rest in safety. 



112 



MARCH III. 




MARCH IV. 113 



Winds and tempests. 



MARCH IV. 

WINDS AND TEBirE5TS< 

With what violence is the air agitated ! Hear how the winds roar 
in the upper regions ! See how the clouds gather ! how rapidly they 
fly ! What torrents of rain do they pour out on the earth ! How ter- 
rible is the force of the winds ! they cleave the greatest oaks ; they 
overturn houses ; ihey shake the foundations of the earth ; and per- 
haps at this moment some vessel, alas ! is plunged into the abyss by 
the violence of the tempest. Above it, the wind bellows ; the gulf 
yawns under it, and around it the waves of the sea rise mountain high ! 
Oh ! in what distress are those miserable people ! How they wring 
their hands ! How they shudder at every wave which seems to arise 
to bury them in the deep ! Before the fury of the tempests is appeased, 
there are, perhaps some thousands of families ruined ; and more still 
who are plunged into the deepest distress by the death of their rela- 
tions and friends. 

" But why does the wise and beneficent Sovereign of the world 
permit the winds to spread such terror and devastation over earth and 
sea?" Foolish question! what rashness to presume to judge and 
censure the government of a Being infinitely wise ! Ought we not 
on the contrary, to consider his ways with respectful silence, and rest 
assured, that they are always full of goodness ? If tempests and whirl- 
winds make such terrible ravages ; if they wreck vessels, or plunge 
them into the bottom of the sea ; if they overturn buildings, and cause 
both man and beast to perish : have we a right, because of this, to 
blame the divine government ? Have they, who calculate with so 
much care the injury which the elements occasion, reckoned also the 
advantages which it procures to the earth. 

Audacious mortals ! admire and adore the Monarch of the world, 
who causes even the tempests to contribute to the good of his empire ! 
It is, in reality, by a particular direction of Providence that, towards 
spring, storms and tempests usually arise. At the return of this beau- 
tiful season, the mild and moist air opens the earth, which had been 
shut up during the winter. By this change of temperature, the atmos- 
phere, which the cold had purified, becomes again loaded with nox- 
ious vapours ; and epidemic disorders, and the pestilence, would 
speedily destroy both man and beast, if these agitations of the air, by 
storms and tempests, did not purify it, and restore its salubrity. By 
this, not only the stagnated vapours are put in motion, but also vapours 
of a different nature are, by this agitation, so strongly blended toge- 
ther as to make a happy mixture, useful to the health of man, and to 
the fertilization of the earth. 

Is it not also a great advantage, that by means of the winds, ves- 
sels are supplied with a sort of wings, and that these floating houses, 
laden with the riches of different parts of the world, can make a pas- 
sage of more than 50 leagues in less than 54 hours I Thus the Lord, 

15 



114 MARCH IV. 



Winds and tempests. 



in the midst of the winds and tempests, is the benefactor of his crea- 
tures ! As often as we hear the wind roar above us, we should ac- 
knowledge his goodness, and reflect, with gratitude, on the wisdom of 
his government. How admirable are his ways, even in storms and 
whirlwinds ! He brings the winds out of his treasury, causing them 
to come from the extremity of the earth ,* marks out the path v/hich 
they should walk in, regulates their bounds, and causes them to cease 
when they have fulfilled his purpose. Why then should we be 
troubled or terrified, when he orders these ministers of his will to 
fulfil his commands ? 

" my soul ! though the tempest should howl around thee, the 
earth quake, the rocks rend, and a veil of darkness be spread over 
nature, let nothing terrify thee ; let nothing disturb thy repose I 
Cast thy care upon the Lord, and pour out all thy troubles into the 
paternal bosom of Him who governs the world. He who points out 
to the stars their course, and to the winds their path, can show thee 
the way in which thou mayest walk w^ith a steady and secure step." 

How stormy soever my life may be here, does it become me to lose 
courage, or murmur against God ? No ! this God, who silences the 
most impetuous winds, will put bounds to that tempest of tribulations 
which threatens to overturn me. And, when the vialence of afflic- 
tion shall have shaken me sufficiently, a serene and luminous day shall 
take place, in which I shall enjoy a profound calm. 

Alas ! in this stormy season, how many of my brethren, who tra- 
verse the seas, if not for my individual advantage, yet for the good of 
society, now struggle against the waves, and are in dreadful expecta- 
tion of the moment when they shall be swallowed up ! I may sketch 
their distresses, while, in my peaceable habitation, I hear without 
danger, the bellowing of the tempest. SoA^ereign Disposer of all 
events ! Ruler of the winds and the seas, defend these distressed peo- 
ple from the fury of the waves ; and condescend to hear the prayers 
which they offer unto thee in affliction ! Have pity on them, as well 
as on all those whose life is in danger; and cast on them one of 
those merciful regards which shall eflfect their deliverance ! 



MARCH V. 

THE AURORA BGREALIS* 

In winter, towards the vernal equinox, we often see a sort of lumi 
nous, transparent, and variously coloured clouds in the sky. A bright 
light appears from the north, which gradually communicates itself to 
the clouds in that quarter, till at length streams of a pale light dart 
from these northern clouds to the zenith. 

This asrial phenomenon, which is called the Northern Light, or Au- 
rora Borealis, may be classed, in certain respects, among those natural 
effects, the true cause of which cannot be exactly ascertained. Some 



MARCH V. 115 



Aurora Borealis. 



naturalists suppose it to be a magnetic matter, which accumulating 
towards the north, diffuses a certain degree of light to a distance. 
Others believe, with more probability, that the Aurora Borealis is 
produced by nitrous and icy particles, which being suspended in the 
air, and joined to vapours, and to fat and oily exhalations, which ema- 
nate from whales and other cetaceous animals, which abound in the 
northern seas, are illuminated and rendered brilliant, by that light, 
which the Laplanders almost constantly enjoy. Lastly, several philo- 
sophers imagine, that this phenomenon is an inflammation of the at- 
mosphere, and a storm not yet come to maturity. The uncertainty 
in w^hich the wisest and most enlightened men are, respecting this 
phenomenon, may be very instructive to us. How many things do 
we see in the air, in the sky, and upon the earth, which are myste- 
rious to the most eminent naturalists ! These phenomena should hum- 
ble the human spirit, which pride, and vain curiosity, often hinder 
from acknowledging how limited its faculties are. 

A thousand little things often confound the most learned in their 
meditations, and elude all their researches. There are millions of 
objects, the utility and beautiful arrangement of which we are ready 
enough to acknowledge ; but can very rarely discover their true prin- 
ciples, the ends for which they were destined, and their connexion 
with the corporeal world, and its different parts. It is, however, a 
mercy, that this ignorance does not affect our happiness ; and though, 
for example, we are not able to detexmine satisfactorily whence the 
Aurora Borealis proceeds, yet we may live peaceably and happily 
without it. After all, however ignorant we may be on this, and an 
infinity of other points, we know at least, that all the phenomena of 
the natural and intellectual world happen only according to the will of 
an omniscient, omnipotent, and infinitely good Being, who directs the 
whole to the benefit of the universe. We have little occasion to 
know more in a life so short as ours ; and this, without doubt will 
suffice to excite us to adore and bless Him who performs so many 
wonderful things, and so much above our comprehension. 

How grateful should we be to God, that we were not born in those 
times of ignorance and superstition, in which whole nations were 
thrown mto consternation and terror by such phenomena. This 
mao-nificent spectacle presented to their troubled imagination whole 
armies fighting in the air ; and from this they drew the most melan- 
choly prognostications. To them, the Aurora Borealis w^^ a prophet 
which one time foretold war, at another famine, at another epidemic 
disorders. But we may find, in the mild and majestic splendour of 
that light, a token of the power and goodness of God. We may be- 
hold these celestial fires without dismay, because w^e know that the 
Lord of heaven has created nothing for the misery and torment of 
his creatures ; and, probably, the inhabitants of the northern coun- 
tries derive great advantages from those phenomena, though they 
have so little influence on ours= 



116 MARCH VI. 

The extreme smallness of certain bodies. 

MARCH VI. 

THE EXTREME SMALLNESS OF CERTAIN BODIES. 

The vault of the heavens, the depths of space, and its unlimited 
extent ; those vast bodies which shine in the firmament, the various 
creatures which inhabit our globe, and fill the air and the waters ; all 
proclaim the glory of the mighty God, and announce his infinite power. 
But we must not imagine that the power and wisdom of the Creator 
are to be seen only in the immense grandeur of the world ; even in 
the smallest objects, and in the most inconsiderable parts of nature, 
we may find the greatest subjects for admiration. 

The structure of a grain of sand, seen through a glass which mag- 
nifies a million of times, is sufficient to fill the greatest mind with 
astonishment. Who would not be surprised to find, that an insect 
makes its abode in a grain of sand, which can scarcely be discerned 
by the naked eye ? Examine, also, (with a microscope which magnifies 
some millions of time) the mould of a piece of bread, and you will 
discover a thick forest of fruit-bearing trees, whose branches, leaves, 
and fruit, may be easily distinguished. Even in our bodies, objects 
inconceivably small may be discovered, which Ave seldom attend to ; 
and which notwithstanding, well deserve our admiration. The body 
is covered with an innumerable multitude of pores, a small part of 
which can only be discovered by the naked eye. The epidermis re- 
sembles the scales of a fish. A grain of sand can cover 250 of those 
scales, and one scale covers .500 pores, which give passage to sweat, 
and to the matter of insensible perspiration. 

Have you ever considered the wonderful structure of the hairs of 
your head? inconsiderable as they may seem, they are, notwithstand- 
ing, a masterpiece of divine workmanship. They are hollow tubes, 
each of which has its bulb or root, a marrowy substance, and many 
little filaments, which unite in them. In that whitish matter which 
grows on the teeth, commonly called tartar^ by m^ansof a microscope 
which magnifies a million of times, a great number of small animals 
have been discovered; and in a small portion of it, about the size 
of a grain of gunpowder, a million of these animalcu]ee have been 
seen. 

Are not these so many circumstances calculated to humble our 
spirit, and show us, in a still clearer point of view, the grandeur of 
the Supreme Being ! Every thing should convince us, that there are 
a thousand objects in nature which are mysteries impenetrable to 
us ; that an infinity of discoveries remain to be made ; and that we 
know, but superficially, the things with which we are best acquainted. 
There are probably a multitude of wonders in our own bodies which no 
person has yet thought of, and which we are very far from suspecting. 
And how many imperceptible objects may there be in nature which 
are beyond the reach both of the microscope and our understanding ; 



MARCH VI. 117 



The extreme smallness of certain bodies. 



and which, if known, would furnish us with new proofs of the great- 
ness of God ? But the little that we do know may suffice to convince 
us, that in small things, ac well as in great, the power, wisdom, and 
goodness of the Lord, are manifested in an admirable manner, 

^' The sand of the sea declares the glory of the mighty God, as 
well as the expanse of the heavens, the splendour of the sun, and the 
violence of the tempests. The smallest worm seems to say to us, 
Give glory to God ! The trees, in the magnificence of their clothing ; 
grain and seeds, in their minuteness, cry with a loud voice, " It is 
God who hath made us, give glory to our Creator I" And to him, 
and to him only, we should give the glory. The smallest of his 
creatures may cause us to recollect his greatness. Let us admire and 
adore his power and wisdom in the formation of the gnat, even as in 
the structure of the elephant ; in the humble form of a syire of grass, 
as in the majestic height of the oak ; in a grain of sand, as in the 
highest mountains I 

No creature that he has formed should appear unworthj^ our atten- 
tion ; and, probably, the creature, which is most abject in its appear- 
ance, may contain the greatest wonders ! A being which God has 
condescended to form and preserve, is, on this account, worthy of con- 
templation and esteem. I am myself little, in comparison of the 
innumerable worlds which God has made, notwithstanding he 
condescends to take care of me, and direct my movements with the 
same wisdom and goodness by which he directs the course of the 
stars : what am I, Lord ! that thou shouldst be mindful of me ; and 
how can I, who am but dust and ashes, sufficiently praise thee for the 
many mercies which I have received from thy beneficent hands ! 



MARCH VII. 

WINTER WITHDRAWS GRADUALLY. 

The same wisdom which at the commencement of winter caused 
the cold to increase by degrees, causes it at present to diminish by 
little and little ; so that this severe season draws insensibly to^vards 
its close. The sun continues a longer time above our \\Qxlzon, and 
his rays act more powerfully upon the earth. The flaiVes of snow 
cease to obscure the atmosphere; the nights produce only a white 
frost, which the mid-day sun causes to vanish. The air becomes 
serene, fogs and vapours are either dispersed, or fall down in ferti- 
lizing showers. The earth becomes lighter, more mouldy, and fitter 
to imbibe moisture. Seeds begin to spring up ; the branches, which 
appeared dead, resume their tender buds, and various blades of grass 
venture to arise out of the earth. We see the preparations which 
nature is making to restore, in a few weeks, verdure to the fields, 
leaves to the trees, and flowers to the gardens. She labours silently 



118 MARCH VIl. 



Winter withdraws gradually. 



to bring back the spring; though tempests, hail, and frosty nights, 
are still putting some obstacles in the way. Soon, however, she shall 
lose her sad and mournful aspect, and the earth shall appear again in 
all the beauty of youth. 

Thus, all the changes in nature are brought r.bout gradually. Each 
effect which we behold, has been prepared by a preceding cause ; 
and a thousand little circumstances Avhich escape us, succeed each 
other, till the great designs of nature are accomplished. A multitude 
and infinity of springs must be put in motion before one blade of grass 
can spring up, or one bud be unfolded. All those variations which, 
during the winter, were so disagreeable to us, were necessary, in order 
to open that smiling prospect which is now before us. Tempests, rain, 
snow, and ice, were all necessary, that the earth might rest and 
acquire new strength, and new fertility. Nor could any of these 
changes happen sooner or later ; be more or less speedy in its opera- 
tion; be of longer or shorter duration, without injuring, in one way or 
another, the fertility of the earth. Now that the advantages of these 
arrangements of nature unfold themselves insensibly before us, we 
discover the ends which she proposed, and the happy consequences of 
winter prove that this season is a real blessing to the earth. 

As the seasons, so the periods and events of our life, are continually 
varying. In the life of each man there is such an admirable and mys- 
terious chain of causes and effects, that nothing but futurity can dis- 
cover to us why such and such events were necessary and beneficial. 
We may see, perhaps, at present, why God caused us to be born of 
such and such parents, rather than others ; why it was that just such a 
place, and not another; should have been that of our birth; why such 
and such afflictive events took place ; why it v/as necessary that we 
should embrace such a mode of life, rather than another : all this was 
at first hidden from us ; but now we comprehend, that the past was 
necessary for the present : and the various events which did not ap- 
pear to comport with the plan of our life, were, nevertheless, indis- 
pensably necessary to our present degree of happiness. We also 
,draw near to that moment when all the events of our life shall be 
developed and explained. And, perhaps, we are very near that 
period when the winter of our life shall end, and we shall be on the 
point of entering into a new world. O my God, and my Father ! fill 
my heart with joy and peace in believing ! and when the visible crea- 
tion shall dkqppear from before my eyes, grant me an entrance into a 
blessed eternity : and give me those foretastes of it now which shall 
raise my soul above every earthly and perishable thing ! Amen. 



MAKCH VIII. 119 



Tlie external parts of the human )x)dy. 



MARCH VIII. 

THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

While nature does not appear in all her beauty ; while the fields 
and gardens are destitute of those charms which are so well calcula- 
ted to recreate the mind ; let us employ ourselves in considering the 
structure of our bodies. This will afford us a better opportunity to 
acknowledge the power and ^visdom of God ; and we may learn, in the 
mean time, to appreciate our earthly life. 

Among all the visible parts of the body, the head holds the most 
distinguished place, both because of its beauty, and because it contains 
the principles of sense and motion. All the sentiments and passions 
of the soul are painted on the face, which is the most beautiful part 
of man; and where the principal organs of sense are found, through 
the medium of which we receive impressions from external objects. 
The different motions of the lips, and those of the tongue, whether it 
touch the palate or the teeth, serve for the articulation of words, and 
the different inflections of sound. By the teeth, we can cut or grind 
our food ; and the saliva, so necessary to digestion, i? furnished by a 
great number of glands which are contained in the mouth. The head 
is placed upon the neck, and turns as on a pivot to any side we please- 
After the neck comes the shoidders, so formed that they are able to 
bear heavy loads. To the shoulders the arvis are joined; and to 
those, the hands, which are so constructed as to perform an infinity 
of motions ; to touch, take, raise up, draw back, repel, &c., the joints 
and bones serving to support and facilitate these motions. 

The breast includes and defends the heart and the lungs; and for 
this purpose, it is com.posed of strong and hard ribs and bones. The 
dia-phragm separates the breast and helly, which contain the stomach, 
liver, spleen, and intestines. All this mass rests upon the A/ps, thighs, 
and legs, which, like the arms, have different articulations favourable 
to motion and rest. 1lI\q feet sustain the whole, and the toes also con- 
tribute to it, because they serve to fix the feet more firmly upon the 
ground. The skin and flesh cover the whole body. The hair and 
the doicn, which are found in different parts, protect them from the 
injurious effects of cold. 

WTiat a diversit}^ is there in these several parts of the body ; and 
yet they are only the principal and most essential ! Their form, their 
structure, their order, their situation, their motions, their harmony, 
all furnish us -with incontestable proofs of the wisdom and goodness 
of the Creator. Not one of the different parts of the body is imper- 
fect or deformed; none is useless, none injures another, none is mis- 
placed. 

Were we, for example, deprived of our hands ; or, if they were not 
provided with so many joints, we should be incapable of executing the 
greater part of the things we do at present. If, preserving our rea^ 
son, we were quadruped?, or reptiles, we should be unfit for many 



120 MARCH VIII. 



The external parts of the human body. 



arts and trades ; we could not -vyork, move, or turn with so much fa- 
cility: we could not easily contemplate the glorious face of the 
heavens. If we had but one eye, and that placed in the middle of our 
foreheads, it would be impossible for us to see to the right and left, 
to take in so large a scope, or>to distinguish so many objects at once. 
Were our ears differently situated, we could not so easily hear what 
passes around us. In a word, all the parts of our bodies are so con- 
structed and arranged, that they concur to the beauty and perfection 
of the whole ; and are properly adapted to accomplish the various de- 
signs of the Creator. 

Let us bless our God that we have been formed in so admirable a 
manner ! May we have a due sense of the favour of having a body so 
well constructed ! and may this sentiment never be effaced from our 
hearts ! May we recall it to mind, as often as we consider our bodies, 
or use any of our members ! and then we shall certainly never make 
an improper use of any of our powers. We shall, on the contrary em- 
ploy our bodies, and all their different parts to the good of society ; 
and be continually attentive to glorify our God with our bodies and 
spirits, which are his. 

We are so much the more obliged to make this noble use of our 
bodies, because that, after they shall have rested some time in the 
grave, we shall receive them again, incomparably more glorious and 
perfect. And is it possible that we should dishonour a body that 
shall be so gloriously employed in the world to come ? Can we pro- 
fane a body which is one day to be conformed to the glorified body of 
our Lord ? Shall we abuse the members which are destined to such 
sublime employments ? No ! the blessed and glorious hope of our 
future happiness should animate us, from this monuent, to present our 
bodies to his holy service ; to consider them as the temple of the Di- 
vinity, and to preserve them pure and without blame till the glorious 
advent of Jesus Christ. 



MARCH IX. 

THE HOPE OF SPRING. 

Every day brings us nearer to the pleasures of spring; and 
strengthens our heart in the hope of speedily seeing the time, in 
which we may respire with more ease, and contemplate nature with 
more joy and satisfaction. This sweet expectation is the only hope 
of an earthly kind, which will not deceive us : because it is founded 
on the invariable laws of nature. The charms of this hope are felt 
in every heart without distinction; for the king and the beggar may 
with unmixed joy, see the approach of spring, and promise themselves 
certain pleasures on its arrival. This hope is not accompanied with 
impatience, because it extends far, and takes in a multitude of objects. 
The coming of spring procures us a thousand new delights; the 



MARCH IX. 121 



The hope of spruig. 



beauty and odour of flowers, the singing of birds, and the smiling 
prospect of universal joy. The greater part of terrestrial hopes is 
attended with anxiety ; but the hope of spring is as innocent as it is 
pure ; for nature never deceives us ; on the contrary, her presents 
generally exceed our expectations, both in their number and excel- 
lence. Let us, therefore, in these boisterous days of March, enter 
fully into the pleasing hope of spring's approach, and the joy which 
it inspires. 

It is a great blessing of a gracious Providence, that in all the revo- 
lutions of the seasons, and in all the vicissitudes of life, we may in- 
dulge the hope of seeing better days. Winter, w^hich is now drawing 
near its close, would have been much more gloomy but for the hope 
of spring. Encouraged by this hope, we have patiently suffered the 
inconveniencies of the cold and bad weather ; and at the present we 
are at the point of seeing this hope abundantly realized. After a few 
more disagreeable days, the sky will become more serene, the air more 
mild : the sun shall re-animate nature, and the earth shall re-assume 
her ornaments. 

Let us return thanks to the infinitely good God for the sources of 
pleasure which he has opened to us to mitigate the sufferings of 
life. With what goodness does he hide the future from our eyes, 
while he gives us a glimpse of the blessings and pleasures designed 
for us ! Without Ao^e, this earth would be a valley of misery, and 
our life a series of pain and sorrow. But he has given us hope to 
be the pleasing companion of our pilgrimage. When all is gloomy 
around us, this opens a beautiful prospect into futurity, re-animates, 
and causes us to walk contentedly through the thorny path of life. 

How often has our heavenly Father, by this mean, comforted us 
when cast do\vn, and strengthened our courage, which was ready to 
faint ! Let us bless him for every ray of hope, by which he has re- 
freshed our souls ; for every blessing we have already received ; and 
for all those which are reserved for us. But what words can express 
the grandeur of that hope, which, as Christians, w'e may enjoy ! 

Let thy mercy be extolled, O thou Divine Redeemer, who hast 
merited for us the right to expect a felicity which is not to be shut up 
within the narrow bounds of this life ! Blessed be thy name, for the 
glorious hope of everlasting life, which thou hast purchased for us ! 
What would life be, without this ! What would the pleasures and 
happiness of this world avail, had we not the blessed hope of living 
eternally, and of being eternally happy? And, if we enjoy this com- 
fortable hope, should we not count all our sufferings here below as 
nothing? What matters it if the winter of my life be long and 
severe ! I hope for a spring ; I expect the renovation and perfection 
of my being in the world to come. 



16 



122 MARCH X. 



The hoarfrost. 



MARCH X. 

THE HOARFROST. 

It is very common, in these times, for the bushes, and other mat- 
ters exposed to the air, to appear like candied substances. The 
hoar, or white frost, to which this appearance is owing, is no other 
than frozen vapours, which lose their fluidity by coming in contact 
with cold bodies. Every day some dew falls, however imperceptible 
it may be; its fluidity can only proceed from heat; and it is very 
easy for a body to lose its heat when it is light and thin, and comes 
into contact with a substance colder than itself. In the cold nights of 
spring, the twigs will sooner lose their heat than the larger branches ; 
on this account it is that the smaller branches are covered w*ith hoarfrost, 
while the larger ones are free from it. When the dew comes in con- 
tact with bodies considerably colder than itself, a part of its heat is 
immediately communicated to them ; the natural result of which is, 
that the dew, having lost the cause of its fluidity, its particles contract, 
unite more closely, and thus form a light coat of ice. Jf to those 
vapours, disposed to freeze, others are joined which have not that 
disposition, the latter instantly lose their fluidity, and settling irregu- 
larly on the former or beside them, they form together what we term 
Jioarfrost.. 

It is therefore easy to understand how ii happens, that sometimes 
our hair, and the hair of animals, is covered with hoarfrost. If the 
matter of perspiration, and the breath from the mouth and nostrils 
be attached to the hair, and be exposed to the action of cold air, this 
congelation will be the consequence. In the same way we can ac- 
count for those shining threads which are seen upon houses during 
winter. If the walls have a certain degree of cold, the aqueous 
vapours which are attached to them will condense ; but, when the 
cold is very intense, and it freezes keenly, this effect is not produ- 
ced, because these vapours are already frozen in the air ; and even, 
supposing that they could fall upon the wall, they could not adhere to 
it, because some points only could come in contact with it. Never- 
theless, it sometimes happens in this species of frost, that the Avails 
grow white as if covered with snow; but this is an infallible sign 
that the severity of the cold is going to abate. 

Here, also, we may perceive the wise and beneficent designs of the 
Creator. In his hand, and under his government, all natural effects, 
and every season of the year, tend to the general good, by rendering 
the earth more fertile. And seeing that in the great connecting chain 
of all the parts of the creation, each phenomenon contributes its part 
^0 the perfection of the whole, is it not reasonable to acknowledge 
tlie wisdom of God in each part in particular, and celebrate him for 
a\\ his benefits. 



MARCH XI. 123 



Means which contribute to fertilize the earth. 



MARCH XI. 

MEANS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO FERTILIZE THE EARTH. 

Divine Providence makes use of a variety of means to render the 
earth fruitful. Sometimes the clouds fall down in rain, in order to 
purify the air from noxious vapours, to mellow the earth, and to sup- 
ply it with fresh nutritive juices. At other times, when the earth is 
deprived of the benefit of rain, a gentle dew moistens and fertilizes 
the soil, and revives the plants which were ready to wither away. 
It has pleased God that every season should have peculiar means of 
fertilizing the earth. The snow, which in the past winter covered 
our fields and meadows, not only preserved the earth from the seve- 
rity of the cold, but by means of the salts with which it was impreg- 
nated, contributed much to enrich the soil. The frequent tempests 
which take place in spring, preserve the air from corruption, dry the 
earth, and disperse the rain over the surface of the globe ; and even 
those storms which take place in summer, though they terrify timid 
people, have a benign influence in fertilizing the earth. Through 
«very tempest, the Creator pours upon the earth his precious bless- 
ings. 

We may, without extravagance, confidently maintain, that there is 
not a change in the air, or on the earth, that does not contribute, 
either directly, or indirectly, to the fertility of our globe. Each sea- 
son brings forward its own peculiar phenomena, and each phenome- 
non of nature produces effects, the blessed consequences of which 
are more or less visible. Even those scourges, which produce pre- 
sent damage in some countries, are only a partial evil which contri- 
butes to accomplish the beneficent designs of Providence ; for advan- 
tages result from them to the world, considered in a collective sense. 
In all things, and through all times, we may acknowledge the tender 
care, and merciful interferen.ce, of a Creator infinitely wise, and infi- 
nitely good. 

" Lord of times and seasons ! thy praise extends from the orbit of the 
earth to the heaven of heavens ! Our globe rolls in the starry expanse, 
at one lime adorned with flowers, at another time covered with snow ; 
here adorned with vines, there covered with thorns ; yet still it cele- 
brates the glory, and unites its accents to the music of the spheres. 
When snow and ice change our meadows into deserts ; when the hur- 
ricane bellows in the air ; when the lightning causes the hearts of 
men to tremble ; when rivers overflow their channels, and drown 
whole countries ; when all the elements seem to conspire the destruc- 
tion of the world; even then thou art preparing joy, salvation, fer- 
tility, and plent}', for the inhabitants of the earth." 

Here we may represent to ourselves the various means which God 
makes use of to fertilize the moral world. To give men a proper 
knowledge of his will concerning themselves ; to fill them with hatred 
to sin, and the love of righteousness, God employs sometimes gentle, 
sometimes violent means. Sometimes he thinks proper to fill the 



124 MARCH XI. 



Means which contribute to fertilize the earth. 



sinner's heart with terrors ; to lay heavy judgments and chastisement 
of long duration, upon him, in order to awake him out of his sleep. 
He speaks to hardened hearts as he did to the Israelites from Mount 
Sinai, in thunders and lightnings. Towards others he uses different 
methods ; he strives to snatch them from vice and vanity, and draw 
them to himself by the pleasing voice of his beneficence. 

Am I not a living witness of this ? Yes, Lord ! I acknowledge, to 
the praise of thy grace, that thou hast made use of all these means to 
lead me to thyself. Sometimes thou hast been pleased to lay thy 
heavy hand upon me, and to confound my pride, by various chastise- 
ments. Thou hast sent me afflictions, and other trials, to bring me to 
a proper consideration of my ways. At other times, thou hast en- 
deavoured to draw me unto thyself by the mildest means. Thou 
hast loaded me with thy benefits ; and thy favours have descended 
upon me as abundantly as the vernal showers upon the earth. But, 
what returns have I made, after so many means having been employed 
for my conversion ? Have I brought forth those fruits which a good 
soil ever produces when the heavens are favourable to it ? Alas ! my 
heart has been like a rock, which no thunder could shake, no rain 
mollify. Has not the greater part of the means which thou hast 
hitherto used towards me, to bring me out of the paths of error, been 
unsuccessful ? But must this always be the case ? No ! it is high 
time that I should become more teachable, and submit to God. The 
longer I continue in impenitence, the more my transgressions and ini- 
quities will increase ; and the more difficult will it be for me to turn 
from the paths of sin. One favour I ask from thee, O God : it is 
this, that thou wilt not cease to strive with me. Terrify me by thy 
threatenings, or comfort me by thy promises : draw me to thyself by 
the severity of chastisements, or by the allurements of beneficence ; 
I will praise thee for all the means of grace which thy wisdom shall 
think proper to employ : only bring me back to thyself, and make me 
fruitful in good works. Amen. 



MARCH XII. 

ADVANTAGES WHICH WE DERIVE FROM THE SEA. 

A SUPERFICIAL view of our globe might give room to believe, 
that there is no proper proportion between the earth and the water : 
at the first view it seems, that the immense expanse of water accords 
ill with the idea we form of the Divine wisdom and goodness. We 
ihink it would have .been more advantageous, had the Creator con- 
5s7erted the ocean, seas, lakes, and rivers, into solid earth: but in this, 
as in a thousand other things, we only show our ignorance and want 
of judgment. If the ocean were reduced one half, it could afford but 
^one half of the vapours which are now raised from it ; and conse- 
quently we could XLot have so many rivers, jior would the earth be 



MARCH XII. 125 



Advantages which we derive from the sea. 



sufficiently wanted ; for the quantity of vapours which are raised is 
in proportion to the surface of the sea, and the heat which attracts 
them. Thus the Creator has wisely ordered, that the sea should be 
large enough to furnish a sufficiency of vapours for watering the earth, 
which could not have been the case, had it occupied less space. The 
sea, then, has been made the general reservoir of waters, that the 
heat of the sun might draw up the vapours which afterwards fall 
down in rain, or form brooks and rivers when they have been depo- 
sited on the tops of the mountains. Were the sea more contracted, there 
would be more deserts and barren regions, because there would be 
less rain, and fewer rivers. 

And what would become of the advantages which we derive from 
commerce, if this great abyss of waters did not exist? God has so 
designed, that one part of the globe should not subsist independently 
of another. On the contrary, he has purposed that there should be 
a connexion between all the inhabitants of the earth. It is on this 
account that he has intersected the globe with seas, to open a com- 
munication between the inhabitants of the remotest parts of the 
earth. How could we procure our rich goods and treasures, were 
we obliged to transport them all by horses and carriages ? Could 
commerce itself exist, if navigation had not opened the easiest way 
to it ?' 

In this division of our globe into land and water, we may see a new 
proof of the wisdom and goodness of God. However distant we 
may be from the sea-coasts, we daily experience its blessed influence. 
Why are we not more grateful to God for this blessing ? Should not 
the knowledge of his adorable attributes, which heaven, earth, and 
sea, impresses upon our minds, excite us to glorify his holy name ? 
Yes, Lord ! and my heart is disposed to render thee the thanks 
which are thy due : assist, by the influence of thy Spirit that my 
piaises may be acceptable ! Yet, perhaps, I am not as sensible of this 
blessing as I ought to be ; others, probably, value it more ; but were 
there none upon earth that acknowledge thy favours, the sea itself 
would be a witness of thy power, and a herald of thy wonderful 
goodness ; for all thy creatures, the sea, the land, and all their inha- 
bitants, celebrate thy praises, thou most gracious God ! 



MARCH XIII. 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 

The difference between animals and plants is so great and evident, 
that it requires only a superficial observation to be convinced of it. 
Undoubtedly, the most remarkable difference consists in this : that 
animals can move, and change their place ? a faculty of which vege- 
tables are entirely destitute. But a more essential difference still is, 
that animals have the faculty of feeling, which cannot be attributed 



126 MARCH Xill. 



Difference between plants and animals. 



10 plants. To this we must add, the manner of being nourished. 
Animals, by means of external organs, are capable of choosing that 
food which is suited to their nature : plants, on the contrary, are obli- 
ged to receive such nourishment as the earth brings, without the 
power of making any choice. This nourishment they receive from 
the humidity of the earth, and by the action of the tubes of their 
leaves, which attract and imbibe the nutritive juices from the earth 
and air. The number of species is much more considerable in the 
animal than in the vegetable kingdom. Among insects only, there are, 
probably, a greater number of classes, (including those which cannot 
be discovered but through a microscope,) than there are of visible 
plants on the face of the globe. Besides, animals have not such a 
conformity among themselves, as plants have with each other ; and 
this resemblance renders it more difficult to reduce them to classes. 
Another circumstance which establishes the difference between the 
two kingdoms is, the manner in which plants and animals propagate 
their species. This is very distinct, notwithstanding the accidental 
similarity which may appear in some cases. 

The only place in which plants can grow and multiply, is the earth. ' 
The greater part rise above the surface, but are attached to the ground 
by roots more or less strong. Others are entirely under the earth : a 
small number grow in the water ; but, in order to live, it is necessary 
that they should take root in the earth. The habitation of animals is, 
on the contrary, less limited. They spread themselves over the earth. 
An innumerable multitude people its surface and interior parts. 
Some dwell in the bottom of the sea ; others swim in the waters at a 
convenient depth. Many live in the air, in vegetables, on the human 
body, on animals, in fluids, and even in stones. If we consider animals 
and plants, in reference to their size, we shall find the difference 
much greater. Between the monstrous whale, and the tiny mite, the 
difference is more considerable than between the highest oak^ and 
least sprig of moss. Finally, it is particularly in the form, that 
the most general and visible difference between plants and animals 
consists. The greater part of the latter have^ in this respect, such 
distinguishing characteristics, that it is impossible to confound them 
with vegetables. 

After all, let us not imagine that we have discovered the bounds 
which separate the animal and vegetable kingdoms, or that we have 
found out all that distinguishes them. Nature, in order to divesify her 
works, makes use of almost imperceptible shades. In the chain of 
beings, perfection increases successively, and ascends by thousands 
of degrees, so that the most perfect species differs but little from that 
which occupies the next degree below it. But, how narrow are the 
limits which separate plants and animals I There are plants which 
appear sensible, and animals which seem to be deprived of sensation. 
Nothing proves the truth of this more than the discoveries which 
have been made in corals. Formerly, corals were considered as 
marine plants ; but, at present, we have strong reasons to class them 



MARCH XIIL 127 



Difference between plants and animals. 



with animals : for that which has hitherto been considered as a flower 
is now well known to be a real animal. Thus each order of creatures 
arrives at its perfection, by innumerable gradations. The more we 
multiply observations, the more we shall be convinced, that we can- 
not exactly determine the bounds of the animal, vegetable, and mineral 
kingdoms * and that among most creatures there is more conformity 
than dissimilarity found : at least, we are sure, that the bounds which 
separate the most perfect creatures from those which are least so, 
are imperceptible to such limited understandings as ours. 

What has been said should convince us, that the world, and all the 
creatures which it contains, are the work of an infinite intelligence : 
and so much harmony and so many differences ; so much variety, and, 
at the same time, so much uniformity, could not proceed but from the 
almighty, omniscient, and infinitely good Being, who has created the 
universe, and all that exists. Let us raise our hearts to him : let us 
go from stone to plant, from plant to beast, from beast to man, and 
from man to angels : then dart up to that infinite Being, the incompre- 
hensible, omnipresent Creator of heaven and earth ; the Preserver of 
plants, the Protector of animals, the Father of men, the King of angels. 
Measure, measure if you can, his grandeur ! endeavour to fathom the 
abyss of his wisdom ! Most holy God ! created beings are too weak to 
understand thy works ! they are immense : and in order to compre- 
hend them, we must be, what is impossible, iiifinite, like thyself! 
Therefore, the less capable we are of conceiving how extensive thy 
wisdom is, the more we should endeavour to meditate upon thy gran- 
deur, and to imitate thy goodness to the utmost of our power. We see, 
that no creature is destitute of the gracious care of the Supreme Being, 
that care is extended to the stone and to the plant, as well as to animals 
and to men. In his sight there is (in some respects) no distinction. 
His m.ercy is over all his works. In this respect also, let us endea- 
vour to imitate our Maker. We occupy, it is true, a distinguished 
rank among created beings ; but let us take heed that we be not cruel 
and tyrannical towards those creatures which appear to have received 
less prerogatives than we have. Let us rather enjoy, with gratitude and 
moderation, all those creatures which God has granted us for our use, 
to the end that in all things God may be glorified through Christ Jesus : 
to whom belong honour, praise, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever I 



MARCH XIV. 

UNIFORMITY AND VARIETY IN THE AVORKS OF NATURE. 

The sky above us, and the earth under our feet continue the same 
from age to age. Nevertheless, they exhibit, from time to time, spec- 
tacles as varied as they are magnificent. Sometimes the sky is covered 
with clouds ; at other times it is serene : sometimes blue, at others 
painted with different colours. The darkness of the night, and the 



V2S MARCH XIV. 



Uniformity and variety in the works of nature. 

brightness of the day ; the blazing light of the sun, and the pale light 
of the moon, succeed each other regularly. The immeasurable space 
of heaven, appears sometimes a desert, at others strewed with an 
infinite number of stars. To how many changes and revolutions is our 
earth subject! For some months it is unadorned and uniform, the 
severity of the winter having robbed it of its beauty ; by and by the 
spring comes, and renews its appearance ; summer shows it to us still 
more rich and beautiful ; and, in a few months, autumn shall cause it 
to pour into our bosom fruit of every description. Inhere is also a 
great variety between one country and another. Here a flat level 
country presents plains, the beauties and limits of which the eye can- 
not take in ; there high mountains, covered with forests, elevate them- 
selves ; and at their feet, fertile valleys, watered with brooks and 
rivers. Here gulfs and precipices ; there lakes and stagnant wa- 
ters ; farther on, impetuous torrents. On all sides, we perceive a 
variety which delights the eye and causes the heart to expand with 
sv;eet and pure delight. 

This same assemblage of uniformity and diversity may be observed 
in all the vegetables on our globe. They all receive, from their 
common Parent, the same nature, and the same nourishment. They 
all have the same mode of springing up, and growing ; but what pro- 
digious difference is there between a blade of grass and an oak ! All, 
are ranged together under certain classes : those of the same species 
are, undoubtedly, very like each other, and, notwithstanding, what 
great differences do we see in each ! It is the same with respect to 
animals : the wisdom of the Creator has also divided them into 
different classes, and whatever diversity there may be among them, 
they preserve nevertheless, the same essential resemblances. There 
is even a certain degree of conformity between man and the lowest 
species of animals. However elevated he may be, in certain respects, 
above animals, has he not, in common with them and even with 
plants, the same means of nourishment? Is it not the sun, the air, 
the water, and the earth, which make provision for all ? Plants grow 
up, ripen, wither and die : and those laws of nature extend not only 
to animals, but also to man. 

If we next examine the varieties in the human species, what an 
astonishing assemblage of conformities and diversities do we find ! 
Human nature, at all times, and among all people, is ever the same : 
nevertheless, we find, that in this innumerable multitude of men, 
scattered over the earth, every individual has a form peculiar to him- 
self: a physiognomy and talents, which in certain respects, distinguish 
him from all others. It seems as if the wisdom of the Creator design- 
ed to diversify his works in the highest degree, as far as was compati- 
ble with the essential and particular construction of each species. 
All the creatures on our globe are divided into three classes, mine' 
rals, vegetables, and animals. These classes are divided into genera ; 
these genera into species, and these species into innumerable individu- 
als. Hence it is, that there, is no unconnected creature upon the 



MARCH XIV. ■ 129 



Uniformity and variety in tlie works of nature. 



earth ; none that is destitute of all relation to some particular spe- 
cies ; all having a sort of connexion with others, and a general affinity 
to the rest of the world. 

From this assemblage of uniformity and diversity, which extends 
ad ivjinitum, the order and beauty of the universe is derived. The 
difference which exists between the creatures of our globe, demon- 
strates the wisdom of the Most High, who chose that each being 
should occupy a determined place ; and has so fixed their destination, 
that it would be impossible to annihilate the relations and oppositions 
which he has established among them. 

Even the minutest works of nature, those which cannot be disco- 
vered but by the assistance of a microscope, present so much unity 
and variety, that they necessarily raise our souls to the contemplation 
of the infinite wisdom of the Creator. 

It is true, O Lord our God ! that thou hast regulated all with wis- 
dom, and referest every thing to the common happiness of thy crea- 
tures. Though I have now been able to view thy works only in a 
superficial manner, yet my soul is transported with astonishment. 
What would it be, were I capable of penetrating farther into the es- 
sence of beings, in order fully to understand their structure. Never- 
theless, Father of lights ! Eternal source of wisdom ! I return thee 
thanks for this slight acquaintance with them which thou hast conde- 
scended to grant me. May I ever consider it one of my most plea- 
sing employments, to meditate upon thy wonders, and to acknowledge 
thee in every object. of nature. By and by, our fields will present 
us with the most pleasing view of variegated beauties, which the 
spring scatters over the earth. I rejoice at the approach of that 
moment : my heart anticipates it under a lively sense of thy wisdom 
and goodness. 



MARCH XV. 

OF SEEDS. 

All vegetables spring from seeds ; but the greater number of these 
are not sown, and are even invisible to men : nature disperses them. 
For this purpose, she has furnished some seeds with a certain light 
down, or feathered tufts, which serve as wings for the wind to carry 
them away, and disperse them abroad. Other seeds, though small, 
are heavy enough to fall perpendicularly on the ground, and sink of 
themselves into it without needing any assistance. Others, though 
large, are yet light enough to be carried by the v/ind ; but, lest they 
should be transported too far from their native place, they are fur- 
nished with little hooks, by which they lay hold on different mat- 
ters they meet with ; and thus are stopped in their progress. There 
are others enclosed in elastic capsules, which, when they have ac- 
quired a proper degree of dryness or moisture, burst open, and by 

17 



130 MARCH XV. 



Of seeds. 



their elasticity drive the seed to a convenient distance; and what is 
still more admirable, nature has entrusted this business of sowing to 
birds, who deposite the kernels of fruit they have eaten, which take 
root, grow up, and flourish. 

Ravens have been known to plant oaks in the following manner , 
they make a hole in the earth with their beak, put in an acorn into it 
and then cover it over with earth and moss. It is not supposed that 
they do this with a design to plant trees : they are led to it by instinct. 
They bury the acorn, that they may preserve it for food : it takes root, 
and in process of time becomes an oak. Many seeds, by their plea- 
sant tasie and agreeable smell, invite birds to swallow them, and to 
carry them hither and thither. After having kept them some time 
in their stomachs, being rendered more fertile by the heat of their 
bowels, they drop them on the earth, where they take root, thrive, 
blossom, and produce new seed. 

Let us admire here the wise and tender care of the Creator. If 
the sowing of seeds in meadows and forests had been entirely left to 
man, in what a desolate state must these fields and forests be found ! 
But observe how, at the return of spring, grass and flowers proceed 
from, and embellish the earth, Avithout man's having in any degree 
contributed towards it. Tender and beneficent Father I how great 
is thy love to thy creatures, and how admirable is thy wisdom ! 

But these are not all the wonders which seeds present us. What 
farther merits our attention is, that the whole plant, however great it 
may be, is nevertheless hidden in the narrow gjmpass of the seed. 
The whole stem of the oak, with all its roots and branches, are found 
in miniature in the acorn. But this is not all : as the preservation 
and propagation of every species depend principally upon the seed, 
the Creator has taken care to protect it sufficiently. As to those 
plants which continue all the year in the earth, with what care and 
precaution are their blossoms and seeds shut up during the winter, iu 
the buds, where they are well protected, and covered with close tu- 
nics of a curious texture. And those other plants which cannot en- 
dure the cold of winter are preserved under the earth, either by 
their roots, or fruit, till the gentle heat of the vernal sun causes them 
again to spring forth. 

Some seeds are lodged in the middle of the fruit : others in shells 
and purses: some in capsules, and wooden sheathes ;. but each is 
protected and defended in such a manner as is most suitable to its 
nature. 

The hand of the Creator may be seen in evety thing. Even the 
smallest works in nature manifest his wisdom and goodness. At pre- 
sent, while the husbandman is employed in depositing diflerent seeds 
in the earth, may I be busily employed with my God ! It is Thou 
alone, who canst sow the seed of righteousness, who canst cause it 
to bud and bring forth fruit. It is by Thee, that it is preserved in 
evil seasons, and by thee it acquires its usefulness and perfection. 



MARCH XVL ^ J31 



Magnitude and distance of the sun. 



MARCH XVI. 

MAGNITUDE AND DISTANCE OF THE SUN. 

If we have never properly considered the extreme littleness of our 
globe, and our own meanness, perhaps we may be deeply affected 
both with the one and the other, when we consider the immense body 
which communicates light and heat, not only to our earth, but to a 
multitude of other worlds. The sun is almost in the centre of the' 
planetary system, and is, in certain respects, the monarch of more 
than twenty worlds ', for the primary and secondary planets are only 
worlds, which receive their light, heat, and motion from the sun. 
This alone would be sufficient to prove, that this body must be of a 
prodigious size ; and what confirms this is, his visible magnitude, not- 
withstanding his immense distance from us. But, on this subject, no 
doubt can remain, if we admit the calculations of astronomers. From 
these it appears, that the diameter of the sun is more than one hun- 
dred times greater than that of our earth, and, consequently, that he 
is more than one million of times larger than our globe. Probably 
it would be more easy to ascertain its exact size, if it were not at suclx 
a prodigious distance from the earth. 

Astronomers differ concerning this distance ; but, taking the medi- 
um of their calculations, we may safely assert, that it is not less than 
95 millions of miles from us. This distance is perfectly suited to the 
effects of the sun, and its influence upon our earth. Some planets 
are nearer to him ; but, were ours in their place, it would be reduced 
to ashes : others are farther off; were the earth at the same distance, 
it would be enveloped in frightful and perpetual darkness, and be ab- 
solutely uninhabitable. Nevertheless, we are authorized to believe', 
that those planets which approach him nearest, or are at the greatest 
distance from him, are suited both in their own nature, and in the nature 
of their productions and inhabitants, to the places they occupy : whe- 
ther this suitableness comes from the peculiar constitution of their at- 
mosphere ; or whether their substance, and the bodies of their inha- 
bitants, be formed so as to be able to bear a greater degree of heat of 
cold. 

Probably, what has been said concerning the magnitude and dis= 
tance of the sun may appear exaggerated ; for our eyes can discover 
nothing so large as the earth which we inhabit : and to this alone we 
compare that sun which is a million of times greater. That luminary, 
at such a distance, appears small to us : and on this account we are 
tempted to believe our eyes, rather than our reason. If God had 
placed us on a planet, which, compared with the earth, were as small 
as our earth is in comparison of the sun, the magnitude of the earth 
would have appeared to us as improbable as that of the sun now does. 
It is not strange then, if we are struck with astonishment at the im- 
mense magnitude and distance of that luminary. If now, m contem- 



132 MARCH XVI. 



Magnitude and distance of the sun. 



plating a mite, or a spire of grass, we discover so many wonders, what, 
must there be in so large and glorious a body as the sun ! 

But it was not merely to excite our admiration that God placed this 
beautiful luminary in the heavens. Our admiration should cause us 
to ascend to that Supreme Being, who is the Creator, Guide, and Pre- 
server of the sun. In comparison of his infinity, the magnitude of 
the sun is but a point ; and his splendour is but a shadow in comparison 
of the glory of the majesty of the Lord. How great must His power 
and glory be who has created the sun ! Let us endeavour to pursue 
this idea ; let us dwell upon it, and we shall find it infinitely more in- 
comprehensible than the distance and magnitude of the sun. If the 
earth be so small in comparison of this globe of fire, how inexpressi- 
bly little must it be in comparison of the Lord ! If between the earth 
and the sun there be such an immense space, how inconceivable must 
the distance be between us and the Infinite ! 

" Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah ! What can be compared to 
thee ? Thy glory is exalted beyond all praise ! the most sublime spirit 
cannot comprehend thy grandeur ! Splendour, glory, and majesty sur- 
round thee, O thou, who art the principle and life of all creatures : 
and thou clothest thyself with light as with a garment !" Let it be 
our constant employment to praise the Lord, as often as we feel the 
salutary effects of the sun, which is the masterpiece of his hands. 
Let this witness, who attests the grandeur of God, whose testimony 
we may every moment receive and feel, teach us how worthy our 
Creator is to be adored, with what tender solicitude he watches over 
us, and how much he deserves our confidence and love. 

But while we admire the sun that shines above our heads, let us 
not forget the Divine Redeemer, that Sun of Righteousness, who has 
shone upon us in our misery, and whose rays dispense comfort, health, 
and salvation. The influence of his grace is as necessary to our sal- 
vation, as that of the sun to our natural life. We should have been 
buried in a night of the deepest obscurity, in a night of sin and despair, 
if, by his doctrine and redemption, he had not brought light, consola- 
tion, and righteousness into the world. 



MARCH XVII. 

THE IMPERFECTION OF OUR KNOWLEDGE IN NATURAL THINGS. 

Why has not the Creator given us faculties by which we might be 
able to fathom all the phenomena of nature ? The limits of our un- 
derstanding, in this respect, seem ill calculated to accomplish the end 
which he has proposed. He wills that we should be acquainted with 
his perfections, that we might magnify his name. But would not the 
true means of being better acquainted with his glorious attributes, that 
we might more worthily magnify them, be a more perfect knowledge 



MARCH XVII. 133 



The imperfection of our knowledge in natural things. 

of the works of creation ? It seems that we should be more capable 
of admiring- the magnificence of the Supreme Being, and more effec- 
tually glorifying his holy name, were we capable of comprehending 
the whole, of knowing the perfection of each part, and of discover- 
ing all the laws and springs of nature. If we now admire the infi- 
nite grandeur of God, Avhen we have but a partial knowledge of his 
works, what would our sentiments be, how absorbed in the contem- 
plation of his glorious attributes, with what profound veneration 
should we adore him, if we could fully penetrate and explain all the 
phenomena of nature ! 

But, probably, we deceive ourselves by this mode of judging ; at 
least it is certain, that seeing God has not thought proper to give us 
a more perfect knowledge of nature, it follows, that we may glorify 
him more with our present powers, than we should do, were we pos- 
sessed of those which we desire. Ought we to be surprised, that in our 
present state we cannot discover the first principles of nature ? The 
organs of our senses are too weak to penetrate into the essence oif 
things ; nor can we form a coporeal idea cf objects which our sen- 
ses are incapable of discerning. Now, there is an infinite number of 
things in the world, which our senses cannot discern. When we 
wish to represent the infinitely great, and the infinitely small in nature, 
our imagination is confounded. When we reflect on the velocity of 
light, our senses are incapable of following such a velocity. And, 
when we wish to form an idea of the veins and circulation of the 
blood, in those animals whose bodies are supposed to be a million 
of times less than a grain of sand, we then feel the weakness of all 
the faculties of our souls. Now as nature ascends from what is infi- 
nitely small, to what is infinitely great, need we be astonished that it 
is impossible to fathom its true principles ? 

But, supposing God had given us such energy and comprehension 
of mind, as would have enabled us to take in the universe, with the 
connexions and relations of all its parts, so that we could penetrate 
the inmost recesses of nature, and discover distinctly its primary 
laws, what would be the consequence ? It is true, we should then 
have an opportunity of admiring, in its full extent, the wisdom of God 
in his arrangement of the world ; but this admiration could not last 
long. In all probability, we should then resemble what men in 
general now are, who, through their fickleness, continue to admire 
things only as long as they appear above their comprehension. If 
we had a clear and distinct idea of the whole system of nature, pos- 
sibly we might think ourselves capable of forming a similar plan. In 
short, we might forget the infinite distance between God and us, and 
cease to render him the glory due to his name. 

We have, therefore, no reason to complain of our imperfect know- 
ledge of nature ; but, on the contrary, to thank God that it is just 
what it is. Were the essence of things better known to us, we 
should not be affected with them, nor so grateful to God as we 
now are j nor could we employ ourselves with so much satisfactioB 



VM MARCH XVll 



Imperfection of our knowledge in natural things. 

in the contemplation of his works as we now do : as we could not, in 
that case, be continually making new discoveries. Now, though we 
have learned only the very first rudiments of the book of nature, we 
feel the magnificence of the Creator, and our own littleness. At 
present, every observation, every new discovery we make, fills us 
with astonishment at the power and wisdom of God ; and the desire 
to arrive at that happy abode, where we shall have a more perfect 
knowledge of God, and his works, continues to be more and more en- 
kindled in our hearts. 

O God I guide us by thy Spirit, that we may make a good use of 
the knowledge thou hast already granted us, and endeavour to grow 
in it continually ! Let not our knowledge be ever unfruitful : but let 
it excite us more and more to glorify and obey thee ! To this end, 
may we ever remember, that thou wilt not judge us according to the 
extent of our knowledge, but according to the use we have made of 
the talents thou hast graciously granted us. 



MARCH XVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF VEGETABLES, 

When we consider the great number and variety of vegetables, 
we discover, as in every thing else, the beneficent designs of the 
Creator. What, indeed, could he propose in covering the earth with 
60 many different herbs, with so many plants and fruits, but the ad- 
vantage and happiness of his creatures ? 

There is so great a number and diversity of plants, that upwards of 
30,000 species have been already reckoned; and every day new 
classes and new species are discovered. Their increase seems infi- 
r)ite : for example, who can help being astonished, when he finds 
that one grain of Turkey corn produces 2000 others, that one pop- 
py-seed multiplies itself so, that in two or three years you may 
s,ow a large field with it ! Can we suppose, that God has not 
had the good of his creatures particularly in view, by this prodi- 
gious multiplication of plants ? Of this we cannot entertain a doubt, 
if we consider the use which has been made of vegetables from the 
most remote times. Do not plants and fruits furnish us daily with the 
most wholesome and nutritive food ? Do not we owe the greater 
part of our clothing, houses, and the utensils which afford us so many 
conveniencies, and so much pleasure, to the vegetable kingdom ? 

Every part of a plant is usefuL The roots furnish us with medi- 
cines, food, fuel, pitch, dyes, and all sorts of utensils. Of the wood, 
men make charcoal, buildings, fuel, medicines, paper, dyes, and innu- 
merable multitudes of instruments. The hark is of the utmost use 
in medicine, tanning, &:c. The ashes are useful to fertilize and ame- 
liorate the soil, to bleach cloth, to make nitre ; and pot-ashes are 
employed in dying. The resin is useful in painting ; pitch, tar^ and 



MAgCH XVIir. 136 



The utility of vegetables. 



balsams, are formed from it. Ttirpentine is useful in medicine ; co- 
lophonia, for varnishing and cement. With resin, the bows and strings 
of musical instruments are rubbed, to render them more sonorous ; 
and mastic is used in perfumes. The flowers please and comfort 
not only by their colours, but also by their odours : they are useful 
in medicine, and furnish bees with wax and honey. The fruits which 
ripen by degrees, serve for food, and are eaten either raw, boiled, 
roasted, pickled, &c. 

But vegetables are not for the use of man alone : they are of the 
utmost utility to animals, most of which have no other food. Hence 
it is, that fields and meadows are so multiplied, and that there is such 
a variety of plants and herbs, that the different animals may find 
what is proper for their nourishment. 

Where, O heavenly Father ! can we find suitable expressions to 
celebrate thy goodness ? Who can reckon up all the blessings which, 
at thy command, the vegetable kingdom affords us It is, at least, 
manifest, that all the arrangements of thy providence, in this respect, 
iiave, for their grand object, the advantage of thy creatures. Thou 
hast provided for the wants of each individual. Thou hast assigned 
to each that plant which is most proper for its nourishment and pre- 
servation. There is not a plant upon the earth but what has its par- 
ticular destination and use. What sentiments of veneration and gra- 
titude should we feel, at the sight of the lawns, fields, and meadows ! 
Here thy beneficent care has collected all that is necessary for the 
comfort and support of the inhabitants of the earth. Here, O God ! 
thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living crea- 
ture ! Here every herb, every ear of corn, every flower, every 
tree, proclaims thy goodness ! I will no longer be deaf, or insensible 
to so intelligible a voice : I will taste and see that thou art good : I 
will take encouragement from thy mercy, and repose my confidence 
more and more in Thee, 



MARCH XIX. 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

With what marvellous and inimitable art is that muscular substance 
which is situated in the cavity of the breast, constructed ! It is called 
the heart ; its figure nearly approaches that of an obtuse pyramid ; and 
it is so situated that its point inclines a little to the left side. Its sub- 
stance appears to be a series of fleshy fibres, woven together with ad- 
mirable art. The external fibres extend from the left side of the 
heart towards the right ; and the internal fibres extend from the right 
to the left. This substance has two inward cavities, which are called 
the ventricles; and which are separated from each other by a fleshy 
partition. Here, one vein is found which conducts the blood from 
the upper part of the body into the right ventricle : another which 
brings back the blood from the lower parts into that same cavity : as 



136 MARCH XIX. 



Structure of the human heart. 



artery which sends it into the lungs ; another vein, by which it re- 
turns" from the hmgs into the left ventricle ; whence it is distributed 
all over the body by the great artery. On the side of the right ven- 
tricle is a sort of cavity, or muscular bag, which is called the auricle ; 
and which receives the blood before it enters into the right ventricle. 
Another auricle^ not less useful, hangs at the left ventricle, that the 
blood may stop there during a new contraction. All the blood passes 
through the heart, some is continually going in, and coming out : and 
by the contractions of the heart and the arteries, it is propelled to 
every part of the bod}'', and circulates through all the veins. 

When all the other members of our body are at rest ; the heart is 
in perpetual motion, from the first to the last moment of our life. 
In a healthy state, the heart contracts at least 60 times in a minute ; 
and consequently 3600 times in an hour : and at each contraction it 
throws out at least two ounces of blood. The force by which this is 
done, cannot be small: for, in order to propel the blood only two 
feet in the great artery, the heart must counteract a resistance of 
900 lbs. weight, and consequently, in 24 hours, a resistance of 
16,000,000 of hundreds weight !^ 

All these things are equally admirable and incomprehensible. If 
so much penetration and experience, and so much knowledge and at- 
tention be necessary to form some idea of the structure of the heart : 
how absurd would it be to suppose, that he who formed it was desti- 
tute of wisdom ; that he had acted without design, or that it could be 
the production of blind chance ? O thou immortal God ! I acknow- 
ledge thy wisdom and power in the formation of my heart ; and filled 
with astonishment and admiration, I cannot help exclaiming, Great is 
the Creator of men ! Great is the Lord our God ! Thy works are 
admirable and marvellous, Lord God Almighty ; Creator of all things, 
how infinite is thy magnificence ! 

What happiness might we enjoy in meditating upon this subject ! 
May we feel such sentiments as often as we reflect on the wise 
construction of our bodies ! We should remember the goodness of 
God, at every breath ; and at every pulsation of our heart we should, 
if possible, praise and thank the Author and Preserver of our life. 
In his hand are all the pulsations of the heart : and from him proceeds 
the circulation of our blood. It is by his will that alone, the heart 
ceases to contract and dilate ; that the blood freezes in our veins, and 
ceases to circulate ; and that the vital functions are arrested. It is in 
God alone that we live, move, and have our Being. O m.y soul, never 
forget the love and gratitude which thou owest to the Most High. 
May I consecrate myself, and all that I possess, to his service, 
and may my heart be ever penetrated with love and respect for his 
name ! 

* Calculations of this nature are extremely uncertain: Borelli asserts that the force 
which the heart exerts at every systole, is equal to 3000 lbs. weight; andthat which all the 
arteries exert at conUraction is equal to 136,000 lbs. weight : while Dr. Keil has computed 
that the heart at every systole exerts a force not exceeding eight ounces ! A. C: 



MARCH XX, 137 



Change of seasons. 



MARCH XX. 

THE CHANGE OF SEASONS. 

The warmest, as well as the coldest climates, have but two seasons 
in the year which are really different. In the coldest countries, the 
summer is about four months long; during which their heat is ex- 
treme, because of the length of the days. The winter lasts eight 
months. In these places spring and autumn are almost impercepti- 
ble ; because, in a very few days, an extreme heat succeeds an ex- 
cessive cold ; and, on the contrary, the most intense cold imiriediately 
succeeds the violent heats. The warmest countries have a dry and 
scorching season, during seven or eight months : then the rains come, 
which last four or five months, and this rainy season makes the diffe- 
rence between summer and winter. 

It is only in temperate climates that there are four distinct seasons 
in the year. The heat of summer diminishes gradually ; so that the 
autumnal fruits have time to ripen by little and little, without receiving 
damage from the cold of winter. Likewise in spring, plants have time 
to sprout and grow up insensibly, without being destroyed by the latter 
frosts, nor too much hastened by the early heats. In Europe, these 
four seasons are most perceptible ; especially in upper Italy, and in 
the southern parts of France. In proportion as we travel northward 
or southward, spring and autumn become shorter, and less distinct. 
In most temperate regions, winter and summer commence in general 
with copious rains, which continue a considerable time. From the 
middle of May to the 24th of June, it seldom rains : after which the 
violent rains return, and continue to the end of July. In the months 
of January and February the weather is generally very uncertain. 
If the melted snow, and the rains which fail in the course of a year, 
were to stand on the earth, without running oil' or being evaporated, 
the depth of the water would amount in most places to one foot nine 
inches. 

This change of seasons well deserves our admiration. It cannot 
be attributed to chance ; for in fortuitous events there can be neither 
order nor stability. Now in all countries of the earth, the seasons 
succeed each other with the same regularity as the nights do the days ; 
and change the appearance of the earth precisely at the appointed 
times. We see it successively adorned sometimes with herbs and 
leaves ; sometimes with flowers ; and sometimes with fruits. After- 
wards it is deprived of its ornaments, and appears in a state of death, 
till spring comes, and gives it (so to speak) a resurrection. Spring, 
summer, and autumn, nourish men and animals, by an abundant pro- 
vision of fruits ; and although nature appears dead in winter, yet that 
season is not without its blessings ; for it moistens and fertilizes the 
earth : and by that preparation the ground becomes capable of pro- 
ducing plants and fruits in due season. 

Awake then, O my soul, and bless and praise God, thy benefactor ! 
This day that lovely season recommences which opens such an agree- 

18 



138 MARCH XX. 



Change of seasons. 



able prospect of approaching plenty ; and which shall make amends 
for the dismal days of winter, which are now passing away. Every 
day the spring approaches with a thousand pleasures, and with bless- 
ings innumerable. How many have wished to live long enough to see 
this renovation of nature ; and to recover, during the beautiful days of 
spring, from the hardships they had suffered during the winter. But 
they have not had the consolation to see this day; and their lives were 
ended before the winter was over. More highly favoured than thou- 
sands of my fellows, who have been removed by death during the 
winter, / still live, and may rejoice in the blessings w-hich spring 
produces. But how often have I already seen this season, withotit 
thinking of the goodness of my Creator ; and without feeling my heart 
expanded with gratitude and love ! Possibly this is the last spring I shall 
ever witness upon earth. Perhaps before the equinox returns, I shall 
be an inhabitant of the tomb ! May this thought excite me to feel so 
much the more sensibly the happiness which my Creator has granted 
me ; and to enjoy, with so much the more precaution, the pleasures of 
the spring ; and to redeem, more carefully, the fleeting moments of 
this transitory life ! 

There is another reflection which the change of seasons may induce 
me to make. As the seasons succeed each other in nature, so do 
they in the course of human life ; but with this difference, that those 
which are past, never return. How many may say, the spring of my 
youth, which was accompanied with beauty, sprightliness, and health, 
is no more ; the summer and autumn of my life, seasons in which I 
should show to the world the mature fruits of righteousness, are ap^' 
preaching apace. It is not certain that I shall attain to the winter of 
old age. It is possible I may die in the vigour of life. Lord, thy will 
be done ! Provided I receive thy salvation, and persevere to the end 
in faith and holiness, however short my life may be, it will be found 
long and happy enough. 



MARCH XXI. 

OF SEVERAL THINGS WHICH APPEAR USELESS. 

If there be a wise providence which governs the world, it must ex- 
tend itself to the smallest things, and the most trifling events ; that 
nothing may occur under its government, which is not of manifest 
utility. " But, how many things are there in the world which are of 
no use ! The north wind blasts and disperses the blossoms of the 
trees ; they wither, and are of no use : seeds which might have pro- 
duced new plants, perish without bringing forth fruit.^ Innumerable 
multitudes of insects are not only of no use, but are injurious to man, 
to beasts, and to vegetables. Many men, and other animals, only show 
themselves on the earth, and then suddenly disappear. Others are 
born either deformed or monstrous, or become impotent. How many 



MARCH XXI. 139 



Several things which appear useless. 



faculties and talents are lost, for lack of being employed ? How many 
good projects, and useful enterprises fail, before they come to their 
maturity ? Could all this take place if a Being infinitely wise govern- 
ed the universe ?" 

But hast thou, who darest to doubt the being and providence of 
God, a perfect knowledge of all things, and the relations they have 
among themselves, to be able to say, this is injurious ; that is abso- 
lutely useless ? Never forget that thy knowledge is weak and limit- 
ed. Thy duty is, to observe a respectful silence ; to adore, and not 
to cavil at the works of the Lord, who has given so many proofs of 
his wisdom in that infinite number of things, the utility of which is 
so manifest, as to be perfectly knowai to us. Consider also, that a 
thing may be useful in different w^ays ; and that, while it serves one 
purpose, it is not to be expected to serve another. The insect that 
at its birth becomes the prey to swallows, certainly cannot produce 
a new generation. The efforts which the alchymist makes to find 
out the philosopher's stone, are certainly of no worth in the forma- 
tion of gold : but the insect is useful in the nourishment of swallows ; 
and to the experiment of the alchymists we owe various excellent 
medicines, and that beautiful porcelain which is so much in present 
use. Your tears cannot soften that ferocious and cruel man, who 
abuses his power in oppressing the weak ; but although your inter- 
cessions in behalf of the miserable man are of no effect, they serve 
to keep up the sensibility of your own heart ; and there is a Being 
who collects these precious gems, to ornament that crown with 
which your head shall be one day decorated. 

Let us never suppose that there is any thing in the world entirely 
useless. There may indeed, be certain things which do not appear 
to succeed, nor answ^er that end for which we suppose them designed ; 
but they undoubtedly serve the end which God proposed ; and ac- 
complish it in the very way he designed. There may be also cer- 
tain cases in which God does not appear to accomplish the end which 
he has proposed. In order that particular matters may take effect, 
and be realized, it is possible, that some others should, in a manner, 
fail, and be defective. But if it be incontestable that true wisdom 
does not only employ itself about the present, but estends its views to 
the future ; if God be infinitely wise, and if his wisdom should be mani- 
fested in the world as in a mirror ; then there must occur a number 
of things here below, which considered separately, may appear not 
to accomplish their destination perfectly, because they were de- 
signed to do it only in conjunction with others. The share these 
things have in the execution of the whole plan, may be^so little 
known, or so imperceptible, as entirely to escape our notice. But 
surely it does not follow from this, that they do not contribute to it, 
or are utterly useless. On the contrary, we should conclude that 
God could not be infinitely wise, and that he did not act on a well-or.- 
dered plan, if there did not frequently happen things which, to us, 
appear useless. 



140 MARCH XXII. 



Several things which appear useless. 



A persuasion of this kind will contribute much to our peace and 
happiness. Day by day events take place in nature and in the course 
of human life, the connexions and relations of which appear to us 
incomprehensible ; and which we may be tempted to think useless 
and without design ; and it is natural that those things which weaken 
our confidence in God, should be disagreeable and distressing to us. 
But the more we are convinced by reason, daily experience, and the 
declaration of the word of God, that he is infinitely good and wise, 
the more contented and tranquil we shall be, both in prosperity and 
adversity. It will not then be difficult for us to acknowledge, that in 
all that he does, and in all that he permits, he proposes to himself 
the accomplishment of infinitely wise ends, which in one way or 
other promote the good of the universe. When we see many little, 
and apparently useless, things in nature ; so many events which 
appear inexplicable, or even entirely contrary to the divine plan t 
far from finding fault, we shall adore his infinite ivisdom, and give 
the glory that is due to Him, who doth all things well. He is 
never mistaken in the government of the universe : all that he 
does, all that he permitfe, is justified by the event. Let us refer 
every thing to his infinite wisdom, and ever trust in its direction, 
without ever having the rashness to cavil at its dispensations. This 
submission and dependence are the only means of happiness here, 
and glory hereafter. 



MARCH XXII. 

THE HARMONY WHICH SUBSISTS BETWEEN THE NATURAL AND MORAL 

WORLD. 

The wisdom of God has established the greatest affinity between 
the earth and its inhabitants, to show that the one was manifestly 
made for the others. There is a mutual connexion between, and 
perfect harmony in, all the works of the Most High. Human nature, 
and the surface of the earth, have the most evident connexion, and 
the most striking analogy. As the bodies of animals and plants are 
formed, grow up, come to maturity, and perish ; so also are the bodies 
of men subject to the same laws of nature. As there is a great diversity 
of climates and soils some of which are fertile, while others are bar- 
ren, there is a similar variety in the minds, talents, and faculties of 
men. Such has been the plan of the great Creator ; and in this diver- 
sity there is more goodness, and wisdom also, than at first view ap- 
pears. Far from being defective, we should find nothing but beauty 
and perfection in it, if we had a thorough knowledge of things. 

Should any one be tempted to object, " Why then has not God 
given the same faculties, and the same degree of intellect, to all men ?" 
We may answer. Who art thou, blind and frail mortal, who callest 
Ood to an account for his works ? Shall the creature say to the Cre- 



MARCH XXII. 141 



Harmony between the natural and moral world. 



ator, Why hast thou made me thus ? We might as well ask, Why 
has not God so ordered matters, that all nations and places on the 
earth should be alike pleasant and fertile ? Why do we find, in one 
place, a rich and fruitful soil, while another is so barren and ungrate- 
ful, that all attempts to improve it are thrown away ? This diversity 
is, without doubt, just and good ; and highly worthy of our admira- 
tion, though not always conformable to our mode of thinking. The 
most barren and desert regions have their beauty and use, in the eyes 
of the Creator : it is the same with the less cultivated and savage 
nations : all hold that rank which is proper in the immensity of cre- 
ated beings, and their diversity points out the infinitely varied wisdom 
of God. Epk. iii. 10. 

But as it is manifestly the intention of the Divine Providence that 
the earth should be cultivated, and that it should produce an abun- 
dance of fruit for the preservation of men and animals ; and as it is 
for this end that he has given us corn to sow the earth ; so also, and 
with still more reason, it is agreeable to his wisdom that human nature 
should be cultivated ; that our souls should be rendered fruitful, and 
brought into a capacity to produce an excellent harvest of virtue and 
holiness. It is with this design that he has given men lessons of true 
religion, which, if they find a soil well disposed to receive them, will 
produce exquisite fruit, like the corn that is sown in a fruitful field. 
Hence it is, that the Gospel produces its effects in proportion to the 
natural capacities of men ; and the dispositions with which they re- 
ceive it. 

There are still, in our days, vast tracts of uncultivated and barren 
land, although Providence denies such regions nothing which is re- 
quisite to render them fertile. It is thus, that notwithstanding the 
publication of the Gospel, there are so many nations which still re- 
main in ignorance. And, even among the most polished nations of 
Christendom, the influence of the Gospel is very different, and ever 
will be, according to the diversity of character of those to whom it 
is preached. Some do not comprehend it, and have no notion of the 
saving power of the truths of our holy religion. Others receive 
these truths with joy and eagerness ; but the impressions they receive 
are not of long duration. Among others, earthly appetites and 
worldly cares, choke the divine word. Finally, there are others, but 
these are the smallest number, who receive the seed in an honest 
and good heart, with light, contrition, and sincerity; to these alone it 
is the power of God unto salvation. Ro7n. i. 16. 

Reader, to which class dost thou belong ? What impressions has 
the doctrine of salvation made upon thy soul ? What fruit has the 
good seed of the Gospel produced in thy heart ? These are ques- 
tions which thy conscience should answer honestly and sincerely. 
But the whole course of thy life will give the best answer. — What 
then does it say ? 



142 MARCH XXIII. 



Nature and properties of air. 



MARCH XXIII. 

THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF AIR. 

Air is a subtile and fluid substance, which surrounds every part of 
our globe ; and which all living creatures respire. Although it is 
so near us, surrounds us on all sides, and we continually feel its 
effect, yet we have not a full knowledge of its nature. This, at 
least, we know, that it is a corporeal substance, of which we may 
be convinced by rapidly moving our hand backward and forward ; 
as we shall then feel a considerable resistance from it. It is not less 
certain, that the air is fluid, that its parts do not cohere, but pass 
easily by each other ; and by this means yield to all kinds of im- 
pressions. If it were a solid body, we could neither breathe nor 
pass through it. 

Gravity is a property common to the air with all other bodies ; and 
this is to water as 1 to 800 ; but its weight is nevertheless very con- 
siderable : every square inch of the surface of the globe is pressed by 
a column of air 151bs. weight ; every square foot, by one of 21601bs. : 
and a middle sized man, whose surface is about 14 square feet, carries 
a load of atmospheric air equal to 30,2401bs. weight ! This may ap- 
pear incredible : but the resistance of the air which is within our 
bodies, prevents us from feeling the pressure of the external air; for 
that air which is pent up in our bodies, maintains an equilibrium with 
that which acts upon us in all directions. 

Elasticity is another manifest property of the air. It has a conti" 
nual tendency to dilate itself, and to occupy a larger space : and 
although it may be easily compressed, yet as soon as the pressure is 
removed, it immediately expands. Fire and heat show this property 
of the air ; and by these means it may be made to occupy a space 
550,000 times greater than that which it occupies in its common at- 
mospheric state ; nor does it lose the smallest portion of elastic power 
by this amazing expansion. 

All these are wonders highly deserving our admiration : and in 
them we may find the causes of a multitude of astonishing effects. 
It is the air which supports our globe, and keeps it in its orbit.^ It 
is in the air that the clouds are collected which assume so many dif- 
ferent forms and colours ; and which according as they are conden- 
sed or rarified, suspend the vapours, or precipitate them in rain, 
hail, or snow, upon the earth. Without the air, our senses could be 
of no use to us : our lives, and the lives of other animals, could not 
be supported : and without it, neither fire nor water could exist. 

Thus then the air also announces the grandeur, power, and good- 
ness of God. His infinite wisdom alone could adapt this element to 
so many uses. It is God who is the creator and governor of the 

* The doctrine contained in this sentence may be objected to by some, as appearing 
contrary to the received principles of gravitation and attraction. Let them take the 
author's words: Die Lufi ist es, loelche den Erdboden tragt, uiid ihn ini seinem stands, 
und 171 seiner Bahn erhalt. 



MARCH XXIII. Ut 



Nature and properties of air. 



rain, the snow, the winds, the thunders, and the lightnings. He alone 
has made all these things. Let us adore the depths of the riches of 
his wisdom and understanding, which manifest them.selves with so much 
splendour in the whole economy of nature. With what wisdom has he 
measured the quantity, gravity, elasticity, and motion, of the air ! 
With what goodness does he cause it to serve an infinity of purposes 
to the welfare of our globe ! Can we who every moment breathe 
this air, so necessary to the preservation of our lives ; who experi- 
ence so many beneficial influences from it ,• can we be ungrateful to 
our God for the tender care which he has. manifested to us, in giving 
us such blessings ? This ingratitude would indeed render us unwor- 
thy of the air we breathe. Rather let us unite our voices to those of 
all his creatures, and celebrate his praise. Let us propose, with the 
Psalmist, to sing unto the Lord as long as we breathe, and magnify 
his name as long as we have any being ! Praise the Lordj O my soul ! 
Hallelujah ! 



MARCH XXIV. 

THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. 

It is certain, that in respect to us, many new things happen in the 
earth, In every season, nature produces new flowers, and ripens 
new fruits. The whole face of nature changes annually. Every 
day brings forward new events, and new revolutions. The situation 
of objects changes daily: or rather they present them.selves to our 
senses under different forms. 

But, it is only relatively to our limited understanding and know- 
ledge, that it is true, that there is any thing new under the sun : and on 
this ground nothing is more certain than that proposition of Solom.on, 
What has been, will be ; and what has been done, ivill be done ; and 
there is nothing new under the sun. God, whose wisdom is infinite, 
has not seen good to multiply beings without necessity. There are as 
many as are necessary to satisfy our wants, and gratify our desires, 
and our curiosity. Far from exhausting, we cannot even gain a super- 
ficial acquaintance with the works of the Creator. Our senses are not 
refined enough to perceive what God has formed ; our understanding 
is too weak to form a just and perfect idea of the whole creation : 
hence, we often believe that there are many new things under the 
sun : for, as the empire of nature is immense, and as we cannot take 
in all its aspects at one view ; we suppose each point which we per- 
ceive for the first time, to be new ; because the Creator has provided 
an astonishing variety of natural beings, the component parts of which 
are extremely diversified. 

Nature does not require a continual and endless creation ; it is 
enough that the Supreme Being should preserve the order which he 
has established in the beginning. God is an artist who requires but 
a small number of springs to vary the works which he has made : 



144 MARCH XXIV. 



Nothing new under the sun. 



and though they succeed each other, and return in the most exact 
order ; so infinitely diversified are they, that they appear to us al- 
ways new. Let us be contented to enjoy, with gratitude, the things 
which he has created, without undertaking to sound their depth, or 
coniprehend their vast extent. 

The impossibility of numbering the works of creation, may be 
considered, in some measure, as the seal by which we may know the 
world to be the work of God ; and which is, at the same time, an evi- 
dent proof of the weakness of our own understanding. 

But, have not many discoveries been made in modern times, which 
were wholly unknown to the ancients ? Do not all the kingdoms of 
nature present to us phenomena of which formerly we had no idea ? 
The greater part of these discoveries is less owing to our sagacity, 
than to our wants. In proportion as these were multiplied, new 
means were necessary to supply them ; and Providence condescended 
to furnish us with them. But these means existed before we disco- 
vered them. Minerals, vegetables, and animals, which we have lately 
found out, existed already in the bosom of the earth, or on its sur- 
face, before the inquiries and labour of men placed them before our 
eyes. Besides, it is probable, that many of the discoveries we boast 
so much of, had been made, or at least foreseen, by the ancients. 

Were the world the work of chance, we should frequently see new 
productions. Why do we not see new species of animais, plants, and 
stones ? Because all has been planned by the infinite wisdom of God, 
Every thing which he has made, is so well made, that it has no need 
of being created again. What exists is sufficient for our necessities 
and comfort. Nothing has been formed by chance ; but every event 
has been determined in the council of infinite wisdom, and all inse- 
parably connected together. The whole edifice of the world is pre- 
served by the government of its Creator, and by the concurrence of 
general and particular laws. All is stamped with wisdom, regularity, 
and magnificence. In all, and through all, God is magnified and glori- 
fied ; and to him be glory eternally ! Amen ! 



MARCH XXV. 



CAVES IN THE MOUNTAINS. 



Caves are generally found in mountains ; and few or none in plains. 
They are formed, like precipices, by the falling in of rocks ; or like 
unfathomable pits, by the action of fire. Caves, therefore, may be 
produced by the same causes which produce chasms, tremours, and 
fallings in of the earth ; these causes are the explosions of volcanoes 
,the action of subterranean vapours and earthquakes ; for they occasion 
disorder and sinking of the earth, and so necessarily form caverns, 
holes, and chasms of all sorts. 

But of what use are these caves ; what purposes do they answer ? 
Suppose we could discover no good end they answer, we should, ne- 



MARCH XXV. 145 



Caves in the mountains. 



vertheless, be persuaded that they are formed for wise purposes. 
For, as there is nothing on the earth useless, we may take it for gran- 
ted that caves have their uses also ; and it is not very difficult to dis- 
cern the end which they answer. In them the waters are collected, 
which are afterwards distributed ov^er the earth, when there happens 
a deficiency of rain; and they feed the watercourses in subterranean 
canals. As soon as this circulation is stopped, shocks and earth- 
quakes, which spread terror and desolation over our globe, take 
place. The air shut up in the interior parts of the earth, escapes 
by these caverns. Such openings, therefore, are necessary, that the 
air may penetrate into the mountains, give a free passage to the winds, 
and a vent to the exhalations. For, if the openings of caverns and 
their vent holes did not give a free circulation, the air contained in 
them would become corrupted, and cause shocks and earthquakes. 

Often these caverns fill with water, which afterward forms rivers 
and lakes. Such is the lake called the Zirchnitzer See, about six Ger- 
man miles from Lobac, in the dutchy of Carniola, in Austria, which fills 
regularly in June, and dries up, or is lost under the neighbouring 
mountains, in September. This lake then is sometimes navigable, and 
at other times arable I So that the inhabitants of that country may 
plough, sow, reap, and hunt in it l"^ And how many animals must pe- 
rish, if the caves of the mountains did not serve them as places of shel- 
ter and retreat during the winter ! Were there no caves, we should 
be deprived of various minerals, and various other useful productions, 
which either cannot be formed elsewhere, or come to their perfect- 
tion only in subterranean cavities. 

We see then, that even in this respect, the wisdom and goodness 
of God are insensibly manifested ! and we have an additional proof, 
that there is nothing useless in nature ; nothing too much, nothing 
which is not made in wisdom, or designed for the general good. The 
more we are employed in these researches, and the more we exercise 
ourselves in them, the more we shall adore the sublime perfections of 
God in the works of nature. Let us enter more deeply into those 
noble meditations ; and let it be our most agreeable occupation to ad- 
mire and celebrate the power and goodness of our Creator, at the 
sight of the different objects and phenomena which we discover on, 
or under the earth. 



MARCH XXVI. 

THE CIRCULATION OF THE SAP IN TREES. 

The trees, which for several months appeared entirely dead, begirt 
insensibly to revive. In a few weeks we shall discover more signs 

* Of this lake, with a probable theory of its phenomena, an ample description may be 
found in the xvi. vol. of the Philosophical Transactions. It is the only place, perhaps, in 
the world, where the singular animal the Anguine Siren is bred 

19 



146 MARCH XXVI. 



Circulation of the sap in trees. 



of life still. In short time the buds will grow larger, open, and ex- 
pand their precious blossoms. We have observed this revolution re- 
gularly in the commencement of each spring ; and perhaps have been 
hitherto ignorant of the means by which it was performed. The 
effects which we observe in spring, in the trees, and other vegetables, 
are occasioned by the sap which is put in motion in their tubes, by 
the air, and the increasing heat. As the life of animals depend on 
the circulation of their blood ; so likewise the life and growth of 
plants depend on the circulation of the sap. To effect this, God has 
formed and adjusted all the parts of vea^etables, so as to concur to the 
preparation, preservation and motion of this nutritious juice. 

It is principally by the hark that in spring the sap ascends from the 
root into the body of the tree ; and that even through the year, life 
and nourishment are distributed to the branches and the fruits which 
they bear. The woody part of the tree is composed of small longi- 
tudinal fibres, which extend in a spiral line from the root to the top 
of the tree ; and which are very closely united together. Among 
these fibres, there are some so very small and fine, that one of them, 
which is scarcely as large as a hair, contains more than eight thousand 
fibrillse I There are an innumerable multitude of little tubes, which 
contain the nutritious juice, and which facilitate the circulation. 
These tubes extend through all the branches, and ascend to the very 
top of the tree. Some conduct the sap from the root to the top ; and 
others bring it down again to the root. The sap rises through the 
ascending tubes, during the heat of the day ; and comes oack, by the 
descending ones, in the cool of the evening. 

The leaves answer the same end : their principal use is to concoct 
the sap ; not only that which proceeds from the root, but also that 
which the tree receives externally by means of the dew, the humidity 
of the air and the rain. This nutritious juice is distributed through 
every part of the tree ; but it could not ascend by the tubes, if they 
were not open at the top ; and it is through these pores that the wa- 
tery parts of the juice evaporate ; while the oily, sulphureous, and 
earthy particles, are united together, to nourish the tree, to be trans- 
formed into its substance, and to give it a continual increase. If the 
juices cease to flow ; if the circulation be obstructed ; if the internal 
organization of the tree be injured, either b}^ intense cold, frost, old 
age, a wound, or other external' injury, the tree dies. 

After these reflections, can we in this season behold trees with the 
same indifference as formerly ? Can the change which is about to 
take place in them be unworthy of our attention ? And can we ob- 
serve the renovation of nature without thinking of tlmt God who has 
given life to all his creatures; who provides juices suitable to the 
trees ; who communicates to the sap the power to circulate in the' ves- 
sels ; and to distribute nourishment, life, and growth to the trees? 
Alas ! we are a full proof, that it is possible to see these things every 
year, and yet to pay no proper attention to them. For many years, 
at the return of spring, we have had the opportunity of observing this 



MARCH XXVI. 147 



Circulation of the sap in trees. 



vivifying power, which shows itself in plants and in trees ; but v/e 
have paid as little attention to it as the beasts which graze on the 
plains. And w^hat is yet more astonishing is, that we have been 
equally inattentive to the preservation of our own lives, to the growth 
of our bodies, and the circulation of our blood ! As we have the hap- 
piness of seeing another new spring ; may we reflect on it in a more 
rational and Christian manner ! May we recollect, that God is nigh to 
us in every part of his works ; and that each of his creatures pro- 
claims his magnificence ! But all our wishes will be fruitless, if the 
Lord himself, who is the God of all grace, do not incline our hearts to 
know and glorify his great name. 

While nature is reanimated, grant O God, that our souls may be 
quickened by thy Spirit ! Let this new existence ^vhich all the vege- 
tables receive in this beautiful season, be the signal which shall cause 
us to awake from our slumber, and excite us to walk before thee in 
holiness ; to lead a life of spiritual activity, agreeable to thy will : 
and duly to feel, and worthily to magnify, thy power, and goodness ! 
May this be the sacrifice which our souls shall present unto thee in 
these days, whieh give us such bright prospects of future good! 
Amen. 



MARCH XXVIL 

OUR IGNORANCE OF FUTURITY. 

If we are ignorant of future events, we must not seek the cause iri 
the nature of our souls only, w^hose faculties are so very limited ; but 
also in the express and infinitely wise purpose of the Creator. He 
knew the strength of man, and would not give him more knowledge 
than he was able to bear. — Knowledge is to the soul what the light of 
the siin is to the eyes : too great a splendour w^ould be injurious, with- 
out being useful. It would be very dangerous to the virtue of men, if 
they had the faculty of foreseeing what would happen to them. For, 
external circumstances have always some influence on our mode of 
thinking, on the purposes of our minds. Thus, the more future events 
should be known to us, the more temptations we should have to sur- 
mount ; and the more we should fear for our virtue. How miserable 
would man be, could he see into futurity ! 

Let us suppose that future events should all be pleasant and pros- 
perous ; so long as we do not see that greater happiness which awaits 
us ; so long we enjoy, with pleasure and comfort, the present advanta- 
ges \vhich we possess. But, draw back the curtain, and gi^e m.an a 
pleasing prospect into futurity ; and he will immediately cease to en- 
joy his present blessings. He Avill be no longer contented, happy, or 
thankful. He would anxiously and impatiently wait for those bless- 
ings designed for him ; and his days would be spent, one after the 
other without being enjoyed. But suppose that future events were 



148 MARCH XXVII. 



Our ignorance of futurity. 



to be gloomy and afflictive ! — we should feel all their misery from the 
time we foresaw them. The days which might have been spent 
agreeably in peace and tranquillity, if the future had not been known 
to us, \vould be consumed in depression of mind through the dreary 
expectation of a certain evil. In a word, the idea of the misfortunes 
which awaited us, would prevent us from enjoying our present happi- 
ness ; and render us insensible to the blessings we now possess. How 
wise and good is God, to have hidden the future from our view; and 
only to have given us a knowledge of our lot by degrees, as the in- 
tended events occur ! 

Let us never desire to anticipate the happiness which awaits us ; 
nor feel the weight of our misfortunes before they arrive. On the 
contrary, let us as often as we think of futurity, thank God that our 
ignorance of it saves us from so many inquietudes, anxieties, and 
fears. And, why should we wish to see through the veil that hides 
the future from our eyes ? If we be certain of our reconciliation to 
God through the Redeemer, we may rest assured, that all future events, 
whether prosperous or adverse, shall infallibly work together for our 
good. And is it not a reconciled and gracious God who directs all 
events, and who regulates the future ? He sees at one glance the 
whole course and circumstances of our lives ; not only that portion 
which is already past ; but all that is before us, even in the abyss of 
eternity. When we lie down to sleep, let us commend ourselves to 
che care of our heavenly Father, without being disturbed about what 
may happen during the night. When we awake let us commit our bo- 
dies, souls, and concerns, into his hands, without being anxious about 
the events which may mark the day. In the midst of the dangers 
which surround us, and the dangers which threaten us, let us remem- 
ber the goodness of God, and trust in him ; and he will either turn 
them aside, or turn them to our advantage. And although we knov/ 
not what evils await us in future, we need have no anxiety on that 
account ; God knows all, and will take care to comfort us in them, and 
support us under them. Therefore, to this wise and merciful Dispo- 
ser of all events, let us abandon ourselves, and trust all our concerns 
with the utmost confidence. 

" Whatever God has determined, in respect to us, must necessarily 
happen. It is the lot of his choice, and that which is most suitable to 
us. Shall I not receive the cup which he presents, without reluctance 
or murmuring, seeing I am convinced that it is for my good ? O Lord, 
I put my cause into thy hands, and submit cheerfully to whatever it 
shall please thee to determine, concerning my life or death. Wheth- 
er I live or die, be thou my portion in time and eternity ! Be submis- 
sive, O my soul ! thy glory is to resign thyself entirely to the will of 
thy Creator. Let the will of the Lord be done ; he is my heavenly 
Father, and will conduct me safely thr.ough all dangers, to that hap- 
piness which he has allotted me." 



MARCH XXVIII. 149 



The gi-adual approach of night. 



MARCH XXVIII. 



THE GRADUAL APPROACH OF NIGHT. 



As night itself is a blessing from the Creator, it is wisely and merci- 
fully ordered that it should come on by degrees. A sudden transi- 
tion from the light of the day, to the obscurity of the night, would be 
equally inconvenient and frightful. So quick a revolution would 
cause a sudden and general interruption in the labours of men, which, 
in certain matters necessary to be completed, and not admitting of de- 
lay, must be very prejudicial. Universal nature, men, and animals, 
would be seized with terror ; and it would be impossible for the or- 
gans of sight not to suffer considerably by this sudden transition from 
light to darkness. Darkness, therefore, does not take place suddenly : 
it comes on with slow steps ; and the twilight which precedes the night, 
gives us time sufficient to terminate our most urgent business, and to 
make all our necessary arrangements. By this means, the coming of 
the nio-ht does not disturb and incommode us, as we have timely warn- 
ing to prepare ourselves for it. 

But, whence do these remains of light proceed, which, at the end 
of each day, temper and soften, in some degree, the gloomy aspect of 
the night ? We no longer see the sun ; yet a portion of his pleasing 
light still cheers us. Let us in this, also, admire the wise and benefi- 
cent arrangement of nature. The atmosphere, which surrounds us, 
has been so constructed as to render us this essential service. The 
rays of the sun, which are projected on the superior part of the at- 
mosphere, do not continue their course in a right line, bufare bent ; 
and this leads them whither their first direction would not have car- 
ried them. The atmosphere, having thus bent and turned back a 
great number of rays, which, without this, could not have reached the 
surface of the earth, brings them to our eyes ; and by this means we 
enjoy the light much longer, and the time of labour is considerably 
lengthened out. 

Thus a gracious Providence has regulated, not only the great revo- 
lutions of the seasons, but also the daily change of light and darkness, 
in a way the most advantageous to us. Let us acknowledge then, 
with thanksgivings, the goodness of our Creator, and adore his wisdom 
in that arrangement, which is so beneficial to us. Let the gradual 
approach of night, in the inanimate part of nature, remind us of the 
approach of the evening of life. It also comes on by degrees ; and 
almost without our perceiving it, we shall be encompassed with sha- 
dows of death. God grant, that our great work may be then happily 
finished : and that we may have accomplished the task which has been 
allotted us ! We must work while it is day ; the night cometh in 
which no man can work. 



150 MARCH XXIX. 



The magnificence of God in his works. 



MARCH XXIX. 

THE MAGNIFICEN'CE OF GOD IN HIS WORKS. 

Why are the works of God so magnificent? Why is there so 
much splendour in all that we see ? Why Jo we discover, on all hands, 
so many different and innumerable objects, one of which appears still 
more beautiful than the other, while each has its peculiar and appro- 
priate charms? Whence is it, that we every where find new subjects 
of astonishment and admiration ? It is, doubtless, that we may inces- 
santly admire and adore this great Being, who is infinitely more beau- 
tiful, sublime, and magnificent, than all we can discover or admire in 
nature : i't is, that we may be enabled to say to ourselves continually, 
" If the works are so glorious, what must the workman be ?" If the 
beauty of the creatures be so exquisite, how inexpressible must be the 
beauty and infinite grandeur of God, who has formed them all, and 
sees the whole creation with one glance of his eye ! 

If the sun have a splendour which our eyes cannot endure, can we 
be surprised if He, who lighted up this globe, dwell in light inacces- 
sible, which no man has seen, or can see ? Can he be less glorious, 
than the creatures he has formed? The more marvellous his works 
are, the more he should exciic our astonishment and admiration. If 
we could see his grandeur, he could not be Gud, or we should not be 
me7i. HoAV then can we better enlarge our views, or lay up a richer 
treasure of ideas and knowledge, than in contemplating this God,, 
whose grandeur and magnificence are without bounds ? And is it not 
by such a contemplation, that all the faculties of our souls may acquire 
that strength and energy which shall render us capable of enjoying 
an infinite happiness ? The more the capacity of our mjnds is ex- 
tended here, the more ennobled will they be, in contemplating this 
greatest of beings, and the better able will they be to comprehend 
him in the future world. 

Let us, therefore, divide our attention between God and nature, 
that we may in the latter, as in a, glass, contemplate the image of that 
Being which we cannot see face to face. Let us collect the various 
beauties and perfections which are dispersed over the vast empire of 
creation ; and when their innumerable multitudes have struck us with 
astonishment, we may say to ourselves, these, compared with the per- 
fections of the Creator, are but a single drop to. the ocean. Let us 
consider, in created beings, only what is beautiful and lovely, abstract- 
ing what is finite and limited, that we may be able to form a more 
just and worthy idea of the excellence of the Ruler of the universe ; 
and when a sight of the faults and imperfections of the creatures shall 
have lessened our admiration of their beauty, let us exclaim, " If 
creation be so beautiful, notwithstanding its defects, how great and 
worthy of our admiration must Hebe, whose splendour is without spot, 
more pure than iig^ht itself, and more brilliant than the sun !"■ 



MARCH XXIX. 151 



The maguificfcnce of God in his works. 



Then, O my soul, collect all thy powers, and employ them only in 
the worship of the adorable God I Take no rest till thou hast ta- 
ken this flight towards the unlimited perfections of Him, who is infi- 
nitely exalted beyond the most perfect of creatures. Let thy princi- 
pal study be to learn to know God, because there is nothing greater 
than God, and because this knowledge alone will satify thy desires, 
and fill thee with a peace and joy which nothing can disturb, and 
which is even a foretaste of that more perfect knowledge, with which 
thou shalt be favoured at the foot of his throne, and which shall consti- 
tute thy happiness through all eternity. 

Yes, my God, and my King I I will exalt and bless thy name for 
ever and ever ! I will bless thee while I live, and celebrate thy prai- 
ses to eternity. I will speak of the glorious magnificence of thy ma- 
jesty and of thy marvellous acts ; to the end that men may celebrate 
the prodigies of thy power and goodness, when I shall have told them 
how great thy magnificence is. My mouth shall publish the praises of 
the Lord, to the end that all men may bless thy holy name, both now, 
and for evermore. 



MARCH XXX. 

THE ORDER OF THE SEASONS IN THE OTHER PLANETS. 

The diurnal rotation of the earth round its own axis, and its annual 
revolution round the sun, afford us the greatest advantages. Does not 
this authorize us to suppose, that the other planets have similar ad- 
vantages. All, except Mercury, have been observed to move round 
their own axis, and very probably he does the same, though this mo- 
tion cannot be observed in him. All the planets move in orbits round 
the sun ; and even the secondary planets have a similar revolution 
round their primaries. Now, as the diurnal rotation of the earth, pro- 
duces the constant changes of day and night ; and its annual motion, 
the chang€ of seasons ; it is very likely that the same things take place 
in the other planets. 

Yenus turns round her axis in 23 hours, and 22 minutes ; Mars, in 
24 hours, 39 minutes ; Jjipiter, in 9 hours, 5Q minutes ', and Saturn, 
in 10 hours. The Moon is supposed to turn round her axis in the 
same time she turns round the earth. If, therefore, we divide the day 
into twenty-four equal parts, each of which parts shall be called an 
hour, the hours of Venus shall be a little less ; and those of Mars a 
little greater than those of ours ; those of Jupiter and Saturn will not 
be half so long as those on our earth. As to those of the Moon, each 
will be more than equal to a whole day of ours. It is also Vv^orthy of 
remark, that the axis of the planets are inclined like that of our earth : 
whence it necessarily follows that their northern parts, during their 
revolution round the sun, are sometimes more, sometimes less enlight- 
ened. Is it not then very likely, that the difierent seasons, and alter-? 



152 MARCH XXX. 



The order of the seasons in the other planets. 



nate length and shortness of days and nights are known on these pla- 
nets, as well as on ours ? 

But it may be asked, to what purpose are all these reflections ? 
They would indeed, be useful, if they only served to increase our 
knowledge. But they will appear more important to us, if we consi- 
der the consequences resulting from them. May we not conclude, 
from what we have seen, that the other planets are also inhabited with 
living creatures ? All the planets are like the earth : — like our globe, 
they are illuminated and warmed by the sun ; they have their days 
and nights, their summers and winters ; but of what use would all these 
be, were the planets not inhabited. 

What an idea should this give us of the magnificence of the Creator ! 
How extensive in his empire I how impossible is it to fathom the 
Avonders of his power and goodness ! When we consider all these 
globes on which his glory is probably as much manifested as on ours, 
we must be struck with astonishment, and adore him with sentiments 
of the most profound veneration. Though he should receive no 
honour from the inhabitants of this earth, his praises would undoubt- 
edly be celebrated in all those worlds which roll above our heads. 
But shall we permit any to surpass 2is, in celebrating the praises of the 
Lord ? No, in a holy emulation, let us join our hymns to those of the 
inhabitants of other worlds, and celebrate him with eternal thanks- 
givings ! Let us invite all beings, who like us, have proceeded from 
his hands, to magnify the Most High ! The Lord, he is God ! The 
Lord, he is God ! Let us render to him the glory due to his name ! 
Hallelujah ! Amen. 



MARCH XXXI. 

THE PATERNAL CARE OF PROVIDENCE, FOR THE PRESERVATION OF 
HUMAN LIFE IN EVERY PART OF THE WORLD. 

We know, at present, a great part of our globe ; and from time to 
time, we discover new regions. But no place has been discovered, 
in which nature does. not produce what is necessary for the preserva- 
tion of human life. We know countries, Avhere the sun burns up 
almost every thing ; where little is to be seen but mountains, and 
plains of sand : where the earth is almost entirely despoiled of that 
verdure which adorns it so beautifully in these climates. There are 
other countries, where the rays of the sun, and his benign warmth, 
are rarely felt; where an almost continual winter benumbs every 
thing ; where there are neither fruits, crops, nor cultivation. Not- 
withstanding, both men and animals are found there, who are far from 
being destitute of subsistence. The productions which Providence 
has denied them, because they would either be burnt up by the ardour 
of the sun, or frozen by the rigour of the cold, are supplied by presents 
more suitable to those climates, on which both men and animals can 



MARCH XXXI. 153 



Care of Providence for the preservation of human hfe. 

live. The inhabitants carefully seek what nature offers to them ; 
they know how to appropriate it to their use ; and thus they procure 
all the necessaries and conveniencies of life. 

In Lapland^ Providence has so contrived matters, that even an evil, 
very troublesome to the inhabitants, becomes the means of their 
preservation. In that country are found innumerable multitudes of 
gnats, which by their stings, are the scourge of the Laplanders ; and 
from which they cannot defend themselves, but in keeping up a conti- 
nual thick smoke in their cabins, and in daubing their faces with pitch. 
These insects lay their eggs on the water, and thus allure a vast num- 
ber of water-fowls, who feed on them ; these are taken by the Lap- 
landers, and become their principal nourishment. 

The Greenlanders, in general, prefer animal to vegetable food ; and 
it is true, that very few vegetables are to be found in those barren 
countries. However, there are some plants, of which the inhabitants 
make great use, particularly sorrel, angelica, and especially spoonwort, 
or scurvy-grass {cochlearia.) But their principal nourishment is a 
species of fish, which they call angmarset, and w^hich nearly resembles 
the miller'' S'thumh. After they have dried these upon the rocks in 
the open air, they constantly serve them instead of bread and pulse ; 
and they lay them up for the winter in large leathern sacks, or in old 
garments. In Iceland, where ako there is no agriculture, because of 
the intense cold, people feed on dried fish, instead of bread. The 
Dalecarlians, who inhabit the northern parts of Sweden, having no 
corn, make their bread with the barks of birch and pine, and a certain 
root which grows in the marshes. The inhabitants of Kamschatka 
feed on the stem of the acanthus, which they eat raw, after having 
peeled it. In Siberia, they make much use of a species of lily, which 
they call mortagon. 

Adorable Father of men ! how tender are thy providential cares for 
our preservation! With what goodness hast thou dispensed, to every 
part of the earth, what is necessary for the subsistence of th}'- crea- 
tures I Thy wisdom saw, before the foundation of the world, the dan- 
gers to which the life of man would be continually exposed; and it 
has so contrived matters, that every where a sufficiency of nourish- 
ment is found. It has established such relations, such connexions 
and communications, among the inhabitants of the earth, that the peo- 
ple who are separated by the most extensive seas, labour for each 
other's subsistence and convenience. 

Can we sufficiently admire and adore the Divine Providence, which 
has given us bodies formed in such a way, that they are not confined 
to any particular food, but are able to make use of every kind of ali- 
ment ? Thus, by a goodness which we cannot sufficiently praise, man 
does not live by bread alone, but by every word, (appointment, and 
ordinance) which proceeds from the mouth of God; that is, by every 
thing which God has ordained nature to produce, to which he has given 
a nourishing virtue. And, because he opens his hands to satisfy the 
desire of every living creature, all turn their eyes to him, and expect 

20 



154 MAKCH XXXI. 



Care of Providence for the preservation of human life. 



to receive their proper nourishment in due time. This month, which 
ends to-day, furnishes us with another proof of this. Compassionate 
and merciful Father ! let us praise thee with our latest breath, for the 
many blessings, and means of subsistence, with which thy liberal hand 
has supplied us ! 



MARCH XXXI. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE. 

My soul, in thy lov'd presence, Lord, 
Its many mercies shall record ; 
With thankful transport will I sing 
The goodness of my God and King. 

Q, why should God, the Great, the Just, 
Regard poor palpitating dust 1 
Weak worms ! We nothing call our own, 
Dependent on his love alone. 

Who stretoh'd yon canopy on high, 
Th' etherial curtains of the sky'} 
"Who spread on earth the verdant robe, 
And beautified this lower globe? 

Who clothes the hills, the fields, tjie vales? 
What pow'r the vain, the dew, exhales } 

Who bursts the seed consign 'd to earth, 
And swells the new botanic birth 1 

Who teaches Sol his daily track 1 
Who brings the splendid trav'ller back? 
By whose command, at night's return, 
Fills Luna her diminished urn? 

Whose hand with blessings crowns the year, 
And fills our-hearts with joy sincere? 
Who, when Ijis loudest thunder rolls, 
Not less delights in humble souls ? 

O man, belov'd, thy life review, 
Say who thy watchful helper, who? 
From youth to age, what guardian pow'r 
Preserv'd thee to the present hour? 

O Sovereign Ruler, mighty Lord, 
Thy great salvation we record ; 
Thy bounty all our gifts bestow'd ; 
We are thy people, Thou our God. 



MARCH XXXr. 155 



A hymn of praise. 



Thy truth and goodness, how they shhie! 
How dear thy providence divine, 
Which kindly counts cur number'd hairs, 
And all ovxr mortal suffering shares ! 

Thy goodness to the clouds extends, 
AH being on thy love depends ; 
The callow raven, when he cries, 
Thy hand with daily food supplies, 

O Friend of man, essential Sire, 
The human offspring Thee admire; 
Their mourning minds thy pity cheers, 
Thy love paternal counts their tears. 

God, from his high supernal seat, 
Beholds the creature at his feet. 
With eye of soft compassion sees 
An humble mourner on his knees. 

Rise, O immortal spirit ! rise, 
Remount, regain thy native skies ; 
Aspire to thy Creator God, 
Pure fountain whence thy Being flow'd. 

My soul, with rapt'rous faith adore ;— 
Sing praises, sing for evermore ; 
Forget not all his gifts to tell ; 
God has for thee done all things well. 

T. R. 



APRIL 



APRIL. 

A HYMN FOR SPRING. 

Praised be the Lord, who has created the spring ! To God be 
glory, who has adorned the face of the earth! To him be glory, ho- 
nour, and power, for he makes the beings which he has formed hap- 
py. The Lord has created, the Lord has preserved, the Lord loves 
and blesses this world, the work of his hands; celebrate him, all ye 
creatures ! 

In those happy days, in which man had not yet rebelled against his 
Maker ; free from sin, and the punishment due to it, the earth was a 
paradise. Now, though sin and punishment have deformed it, we still 
see in it the hand of its sublime Author, and earth is yet the entrance 
to heaven. 



156 APRIL I. 



A hymn for spring. 



The fields, which seemed dead, begin now to revive and bloom, 
Every day brings new blessings ; the worm which creeps in the dust 
and the fowls that fly in the air, rejoice in their existence. 

The face of the earth is renewed ; the sky shines with a pure and 
serene splendour ; the mountains, the vallies, and the forests, all re- 
sound with melodious accents : and He to whom all things owe their 
being and their life, looks with an eye of mercy over the works of 
creation. 

And yet, Creator ! the meadows and fields are destitute of intel- 
ligence ; and thou hast not formed the irrational animal after thy like- 
ness; it is man alone who can rejoice in thee; man alone, can know 
thee, can be conscious of his existence, and aspire to live with thee 
eternally. 

Let us celebrate the Lord ; he is nigh unto us : let all his hosts 
praise him ! The Lord is present every where, in heaven, on earth, 
and in the seas. I glorify thee ! I sing thy praise ; for, wherever I 
am, there thou art, ever near me by thy power, thy love, and thy 
bount}^ 

Thou commandest the clouds to extend themselves over the fields ; 
thou waterest the thirsty land, that man may be enriched by the gifts of 
thy hand. Thou commandest the hail, the winds, and the dew, (these 
messengers of thy power,) to become sources of happiness to mankind. 

Even, when the tempest arises ; when the thunder rolls, and 
strikes men pale ; then fertility and blessedness spring from the bosom 
of the stormy darkness, speedily the sun restores us his light, and songs 
of joy succeed peals of thunder. 

It is in Thee alone that we find happiness : in thee alone, the 
Author of all good. It is thou who enablest us to draw salvation 
from the eternal springs. Happy here below, happy the mortal who 
submits to thy government ; and is prepared to leave this world with 
joy, in hopes of being united to thee, his Creator and Father, by his 
Eedeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ! 



APRIL I.^ 

ABUSE OF ANIMALS. 

Men abuse animals in so many different ways, that it would be 
difficult to enumerate them. These abuses, however, may be con- 
fined to two principal classes. They are generally too much, or too 
little valued : and in either case we act contrary to the designs of 
the Creator. On one hand we value them too little, when, under the 
pretence that God has given us the use of them, we exercise an un- 
limited power oA^er them, and treat them according to our caprice. 
But how can we prove that we have this right ? And supposing we 
have it ; is it just that our empire over them should degenerate into 
cfiielty and tyranny ? Every man who is not wholly corrupted by 



APRIL I.* 157 



Abuse of animals. 



evil affections and vicious habits, is naturally inclined to compassion 
for every being endued with life and feeling. 

This disposition undoubtedly does us honour : and it is so deeply 
engraven in the soul, that the man who has got it effaced shows how 
much he is degraded, and how far he is fallen from the dignity of 
human nature. He has but one step more to. take, i. e. to refuse that 
compassion to men which he denies to brutes ; and then he becomes 
a finished monster. Experience but too well justifies what is said 
here, and every reader will be able to recollect examples of this 
ferocity : — history furnishes us with them in abundance. People 
who divert themselves with the combats of animals, distinguish them- 
selves also by their cruelty towards their fellow-creatures. So true 
it is, that our conduct towards the brute creation has a great in- 
fluence over our moral character, and the gentleness of our manners. 
But it may be said, we have a right to kill noxious animals. Grant- 
ed ; but does it follow that we have a right to tear from them, with- 
out pity or remorse, a life which is naturally so dear to them ? And 
when necessity obliges us to deprive some of them of their lives, 
have we a right to cause them to suffer a thousand torments, often 
more cruel than death itself? And how far are we from every princi- 
ple of humanity, when we can make it our diversion, and find a bar- 
barous pleasure in it ? I grant also^ that the Creator has given us 
animals for our use and pleasure ; and that they are destined to alle- 
viate our labours by their own : but does it follow that we have a 
right to exhaust them by labour, without the least necessity ; cause 
them to labour beyond their strength : refuse them that subsistence 
which their services merit ; or increase their sufferings by rigorous 
treatment ? But no more need be said on this first kind of abuse. 

People sometimes fall into another extreme, and rate some animals 
beyond their value : those which are of a social disposition, which 
have most connexion with us, which live in our houses, which are 
useful to, or amuse us, often inspire us with a ridiculous and extra- 
vagant affection. I am ashamed to say, that there are both men and 
women absurd enough to love these creatures to such a degree, as to 
sacrifice to them, without hesitation, those essential duties which they 
owe to their fellow-creatures. Let war light its fire-brand between 
nations ; let whole armies destroy each other ; the news makes no 
impression on that lady, who, a few days after, is inconsolable for the 
loss of her lapdog ! Much might be said on this ridiculous business ; 
but I shall pass it by, and conclude this meditation with an important 
remark. Parents and teachers cannot be too attentive to abstain scru- 
pulously from every abuse of animals in the presence of children. 
It is the more necessary to insist on this, as the practice of it is so 
much neglected, and children have such bad examples set before 
them as often have the most baleful influence over their passions and 
conduct. 

No animal should ever be put to death in the presence of children : 
much less should they ever be commissioned to do it. Let them ffee 



158 APRIL L^ 



Abuse of animals. 



accustomed to treat animals as beings which have life and feeling ; and 
towards which God has given them important duties to fulfil. On the 
other hand, let proper care be taken that children do not attach them- 
selves too much to animals ; nor be passionately fond of them, to 
which folly they are naturally inclined. While we take care that our 
children do not abuse animals in any way ; we should also show them 
the proper method of using them ; that they may, from their tender- 
est infancy, be led to acknowledge, even in these creatures, the im- 
press of the Divine Perfections. 



APRIL II. 

THE MOTION OF THE EARTH. 

When the delightful spectacle of the rising sun renews, each mor- 
nmg, in our souls, that gratitude and admiration due to the sublime 
Author of the universe ; we may at the same tirne observe, that the 
place of this magnificent sight changes with the seasons. To be con- 
vinced of this, we have only to mark the place where the sun rises in 
spring and autumn; and we shall perceive it afterwards in summer 
more to the north, and in winter more to the south. We then rea- 
sonably conclude, that some motion must be the cause of this change; 
for we cannot see any body whatever v/hich changes its place, with- 
out a motion taking place either in itself, or in us who observe it. 
People are naturally led to suppose, that it is ihe^sun which moves ; 
and that it is because of this, that we see it sometimes on one side, 
sometimes on the other. But as the same appearances must take 
place, supposing the sun to remain immoveable, and that we with the 
earth turned round him, and that we neither perceived the motion of 
the earth, nor that of the sun, we ought to depend less on our own 
conjectures, than on the numerous observations which astronomers 
have made in the heavens ; and which sufficiently prove that the 
earth alone turns round. 

In the first place, let us consider that immense space in which the 
heavenly bodies are fixed ; a place which is either empty, or filled 
with an infinitely subtile matter, which is called Ethcti It is in this 
that our globe, and all the other planets which compose the solar sys- 
tem, swim. The sun, concerning whose magnitude we have already 
spoken, is placed in the centre, encompassed wdth his subjects, the 
planets, whom in size he vastly surpasses. That principle of gravity, 
which our globe possesses in common with all other bodies, directs it 
towards the centre ; or rather, the sun attracts the earth by that pow- 
er which large bodies have to attract those that are less : so that as 
often as the earth tends to move off' in a straight line from the sun, the 
attractive influence of the sun constantly draws it towards itself; by 
this means, the earth is caused to revolve in a circle round the sun, in 
the same manner as a sling turns round; or, to make use of a more 



APRIL II. 159 



The motion of the earth. 



analogous example, as a cannon-ball, which at first describes a curve 
line : it is true, that it will again fall back to the earth, after having 
gone through a certain distance ; but it would continue the same line 
for some miles farther, were it projected from the top of a high moun- 
tain : suppose a greater elevation, and it will go farther in propor- 
tion : add to this height, and it will go as far as our antipodes, in order 
to return to the point whence it set out. 

All these effects take place from the laws of gravitation, or the at- 
tractive power of our globe : and it is in this manner that our earth 
revolves round the sun. The orbit it describes is not a perfect cir^ 
cle ; but an elipsis, in one focus of which the sun is placed; which 
is the reason that we are farther from the sun at one time than we 
are at another. This orbit is 44,000 semidiameters of our earth. To 
make this revolution round the sun, the earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 
48 minutes, and 43 seconds ; which is the space of time that completes 
our year : and at the expiration of which, we find the sun in the same 
part of the firmament. For in every part of the earth's orbit, we 
find the sun in the opposite part of the heavens ; so that while the 
earth insensibly continues its motion, we imagine it is the sun which 
moves. In spring, the sun is equally distant from the two poles ; 
whence the equality of day and night. In summer it is 23 degrees, 
30 minutes, nearer the north, which is the cause of our longest days. 
In autumn it comes again to an equal distance between the two poles ; 
and in winter it goes as far to the south, as it was in summer to the 
north ; which occasions our shortest days. 

If such be the order and arrangement of the great works of the 
creation ; it is an additional cause to admire and adore the supreme 
wisdom and goodness of the Creator of the universe ! How precious 
should every increase of knowledge be, which makes a further dis- 
covery to us of the Author of nature, in the works of his own hands I 
Every where we find Him; and every where we are constrained to 
cry out, Lord, thou hast formed all things with admirable wisdom ! — 
And shall we not, in the fullest assurance, and in the utmost confidence, 
commit the government of our lives to Him. who governs the world 
with so much wisdom ? The sun and planets obey his laws, without 
ever varying; and shall we oppose his will, or violate his precepts ? 
When we undertake a voyage, in which dangers multiply at each 
step, we have need to take refuge in his paternal care. And how 
much more need have we of his powerful protection, in this course ' 
of so many thousand leagues, which the annual revolution of the earth 
causes us to pass through ! Is not this a new blessing from God ; (a 
blessing but little thought of by the generality of men) to have been 
preserved hitherto in so formidable a voyage ? Shall less important 
phenomena and trifling dangers shake our courage, after such daily 
proofs of the protection of the Most High in the most important revo- 
lutions of nature ? Henceforth let us banish any distrust, and surmount 
every fear by faith in the Aluiighty.Creator of the heaven and the earth, 



160 APRIL II. 



The motion of the earth. 



and let us look for the right to call him our Father ^ by being recon- 
ciled to him through Christ Jesus. 



APRIL III. 

THE ABUNDANT RICHES OF NATURE. 

To be fully convinced of the extreme liberality of nature in the 
dispensation of her gifts, it would, in my judgment, be sufficient to 
reflect on that prodigious number of human beings who receive their 
food, raiment, and all the pleasures they enjoy, from this beneficent 
parent. But as this is one of those things which, because they fre- 
quently happen are little regarded ; we will turn our meditations on 
certain creatures, which, though partly made for our use, are never- 
theless many of them objects of our contempt. This meditation 
may teach us, that all the beings scattered over our globe proclaim the 
goodness of their Author, arid may engage us to glorify his holy 
name, if our heart be susceptible of any good impression. 

Innumerable multitudes of living creatures, which inhabit the 
earth, the air, and the waters, are daily debtors to nature for their 
subsistence. The animals which we take so much care to feed, owe 
properly their nourishment to her. The grass that grows without 
our sowing, is their principal aliment. All the genera of fish subsist 
without the aid of man, unless, for his pleasure, he choose to feed 
some particular sorts. The forests also produce acorns, the meads 
and mountains produce grass ; and the fields diiferent kinds of small 
seeds, without any cultivation. Among birds, the most numerous, 
and perhaps the most despised species, is that of the sparroios. 
Their number is so prodigious, that it has been supposed, that the 
produce of every field in the whole empire of France, could not 
support them for the space of one year. It is nature who takes 
from her immense magazine what is necessary for their support, and 
they are the smallest part of her dependants. The number of in- 
sects is so great, that probably several centuries may elapse before all 
their diflferent kinds shall be ascertained. How numerous are the 
Jiies ! and how many different kinds of those little animals, whose 
stings we feel, and which we see sporting in the air ! The blood 
which they steal from us is but an accidental food to them : and we 
may readily imagine, that for one which has fed on this, there are 
millions which have never tasted either human blood, or that of any 
other animal. On what do all these creatures live ? There is not a 
handful of earth that does not contain living creatures ; and in it 
they are nourished by one means or another. In every drop of wa- 
ter, we discover creatures, the means of whose nourishment, and 
their multiplication, are incomprehensible to us. 

Immensely rich as nature is in living creatures, she is equally 
fruitful in means . for their subsistence : or rather it is the Creator 



APRIL III. 161 



The abundmit riches of nature. 



who has caused that inexhaustible source of riches to spring from her 
bosom. Through him, every creature finds its habitation and nou- 
rishment. For them he has caused the grass of the field to grow ; di- 
recting each to choose that sort of food which is best suited to its 
nature ; and none of them is so mean in his sight as to induce him to 
withhold from it his tender regards and bountiful support. In this, O 
Almighty God, is thy grandeur manifested I What no man, no monarch, 
nor all the men and monarchs of the world could do ; thou, the Crea- 
tor, dost perform. Thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing. — 
Thou feedest the young ravens, and nourishest all the insects which 
inhabit the air, the earth, and the water ! 

And will he not do for thee what he does for them, O thou of little 
faith ? Should a doubt or fear, concerning thy support, ever arise in. 
thy soul, consider the creatures which God daily feeds. Let the 
fowls of the air, the wild beasts of the deserts, and the millions of 
creatures which man takes no care of, teach thee the art of living con- 
tentedly. " He who adorns the fiowers, who gives pasture to the cat- 
tle, and food to all creatures ; this great Author of nature knows all 
thy wants ; apply to him in all thy afflictions ; and let thy prayers be 
accompanied with faith and confidence." 



APRIL IV. 

THE RISING OF THE SUN. 

Have you ever witnessed that superb spectacle which the rising 
sun every day affords ? Or, have efieminacy, and l^ve of sleep, or a 
criminal indifference, prevented you from conteifiplating this miracle 
of nature ? Perhaps you may be reckoned among the number of 
those who have never supposed that a sight of the da2V7iwas worth the 
sacrifice of a few hours sleep ; or, yoa are like others, who, contented 
that the sun shines, never put themselves to any trouble to inquire 
into the cause of that effect. Or lastly, like thousands of your fellow- 
creatures, you perhaps daily see this grand spectacle, without being 
affected by it ; without forming any idea of its nature ; or reflecting 
on its excellence and use. It matters not to which of these classes 
you belong ; suffer yourself now to be awakened out of this state of 
insensibility, and learn what thoughts a view of the rising sun should 
excite in your soul. 

There is no phenomenon in nature more beautiful and splendid 
than the rising sun. The richest dress that human art can invent; 
the most splendid decorations, the most pompous equipage, the most 
superb ornaments of regal palaces fade away to nothing, when com- 
pared to this beauty of nature. First, the eastern region of the sky, 
clothed in the purple of aurora, announces the approach of the sun. 
The sky by degrees is tinged with a rose colour, and by and by flames 
like burnished gold. Then the rays of the sun transpierce it, and dif- 

21 



162 APRIL IV. 



Rising of the sim. 



fuse light and heat over the whole horizon. Finally, the sun himself 
appears, in all the splendour of his majesty : he rises visibly higher and 
higher; and the earth appears in a new point of view. Every crea- 
ture rejoices, and seems to receive new life. The birds hail this 
parent of day and author of light, with songs of gladness. All the 
animals are rn motion; and feel themselves influenced with new 
strength and new spirits. 

Raise thyself up to God, my soul ! Let thy sangs of praise also 
ascend from the earth, and resound through that heaven which is the 
residence of Him, by whose orders the sun rises, and whose hand di- 
rects his diurnal and annual course, from which result the blessed 
rerolution of day and night, and the regular succession of the seasons. 

Raise thyself, O my soul, to the Father of lights, and celebrate his 
Majesty. Celebrate him, by a solemn acknowledgment of thydepen- 
dance upon him ; and by actions which are pleasing in his sight ! See 
all nature proclaims harmony and order. The sun and all the pla- 
nets run their course ; every season brings its awn fruits, and every 
day renews the splendour of the sun. Wilt thou^ in the midst of this 
active creation, be the only one that shall be found deficient in praise 
to thy Creator ? No, let thy faith and virtue, let thy pious zeal, teach 
the infidel how great and how worthy of adoration that God is, whom he 
neglects or despises. Let thy peace of soul teach the vicious how 
kind and merciful that God is, before whom he trembles. Be to thy 
brethren what he is to thee : be to them what the sun is to the uni- 
verse. As he daily sheds his benign influence upon the earth ; as he 
shines upon the just and the unjust ; as he illuminates the humble 
vallies, as well as the summit of the highest mountains ; like him, let 
thy life be useful and beneficent, a blessing and consolation to man- 
kind. Let the chai Ltable disposition of thy heart be renewed daily ; 
do good to all accordmg to thy power, without respect of persons," 
in a word, endeavour to live and act so that thy life may become a 
general benefit to the world. 

To-day thou hast seen the rising of the sun ; and supposing thou 
art 30 years of age, it has already risek more than 10,000 times over 
thy head, and yet this is \\\q first day thou hast made similar reflec- 
tions to the above on this phenomenon ! And, probably, this is the 
last day in which thou shalt see ii rise in this lower world. Let this 
uncertainty render thee so much the more attentive to glorify thy 
great Creator ; and contemplate the sun this day with such sentiments 
as may be prolonged through a blessed eternity. 



APRIL V. 

THE WONDERFUL CONSTRITCTieN OF THE EAR. 

Although the ear, in point of beauty, must give place to the 
eye ; it is, nevertheless, perfectly adapted to its use, and no less a 
masterpiece of the Creator's hand. In the first place, its position 



APRIL V. 163 



Wonderful construe Uon of the ear. 



shows much wisdom : it is placed in the most convenient part of the 
human machine, near the brain, the common seat of all the senses. 
The external structure of the ear deserves our admiration ; it nearly 
resembles a muscle; but it has neither the softness of mere flesh, nor 
the hardness of bone. Were it flesh only, the upper part would fall 
down over the orifice, and prevent the communication of sounds. If, 
on the other hand, it were provided with solid bones, we should feel 
much pain and many inconveniencies,.when we lay on either side. On 
this account, the Creator has chosen a cartilaginous substance for the 
outward part of the ear ; which has that degree of firmness, that polish 
and folding, which are most proper to reflect sounds ; for the whole use 
of the external part is to collect the undulations of the air, and convey 
them into the orifice of the ear. 

The internal structure of this organ is still more proper to excite 
our surprise. Within the ear there is an opening which is called tlie 
meatus auditor 2is, or auditory canal : the entrance, which is defended 
with small hairs, to prevent insects from penetrating into it; and it is- 
for the same purpose that it is always moistened with a sort of bitte? 
glutinous humour, called the ear-ivax, which is separated from its- 
glands. 

The tympajiiim, or drum, is placed obliquely in the auditory canaL- 
This part of the ear has really a great resemblance to a drum ; for, 
first, there is a sort of bony ring in the cavity of the auditory canal,- 
over which a round, thin, dry membrane is stretched. Secondly, 
there is a muscle tightly connected with the malleus, which answers- 
the same end here, that the catgut string does to the drum : it in- 
creases the vibration of the membrane, and serves sometimes to tight- 
en, and sometimes to relax it. In the cavity under the drum, there 
are some very small, but very remarkable bones called auditory 
hones : they are distinguished by these names ; malleus, the hammer ^ 
incus, the anvil, os orhiculare, the orbicular lone ; and the stapes, or 
stirrup. Their use is to contribute to the vibrations and extension 
of the tympanum. Behind the cavity of the drum, there is another 
opening called the eustacliin tube, which leads to the palate. This 
passage lets the air in and out from the funnel of the ear, to make 
the membrane vibrate the better. Sounds received through the 
mouth, are heard by means of this passage, when the outward orifice 
of the ear is closed up. Next come the cochlea, which rises in a- 
spiral line, similar to a winding staircase : and finally, behind this, tlie 
auditory nerve terminates in the brain. Therefore, the essential re- 
quisite of hearing consists in the aforesaid tympanum, or drum, and 
the auditory nerve : the external parts serving only to collect the 
sound, or undulations of the air, in order to strengthen the sense of 
hearing. 

Hearing is a thing in itself highly worthy of admiration. By a 
portion of air extremely small which we put in motion, we know not 
how wc can, in an instant, make our thoughts, desires, and conception^' 
known to another ; and that as perfectly as if his soul could see into 



164 APRIL V. 



Wonderful construction of the ear. 



ours. But to make the action of the air in the propagation of sounds 
more easy to be understood, let us remember, that the air is not a so- 
lid, but a fluid body. Throw a stone into calm water, and it will oc- 
casion undulations, which will extend more or less, according to the 
degree of force with which the stone was cast in. Let us now sup- 
pose that a word spoken produces the same effect in the air which 
the stone does in the water. While the speaker pronounces the word, 
he expels, with more or less force, a quantity of air out of his mouth : 
this air communicates an undulatory motion to the external air ; and 
this air thus put in motion, communicates its vibrations to the tymya' 
num, or dram ; by the drum, the air contained in the cavity of the ear 
is agitated ; by these agitations, the hammer is shaken ; the hammer 
in its turn, shakes the anvil, and the o_s orbiculare ; and the stirrup 
transmits to the nerves, ihxoMgh. \hQ fenestra ovalis, or oval orifice, the 
motion it has received, and those vibrate like the strings of a harpsi- 
cord. This motion of the air gains strength by agitating the fluid 
contained in the labyrinth and cochlea : and communicates itself to 
what is properly called the auditory nerve. The soul then feels a sen- 
sation proportioned to the strength or weakness of the impression re- 
ceived; and by virtue of a mysterious law of the Creator, forms to it- 
self representations of objects and of truths. 

What joy should we feel in being capable of distinguishing sounds ! 
How deplorable would our case be, were we denied the faculty of 
hearing ! in certain respects, privation of hearing would be worse than 
the loss of sight. Through the eye, only sensible and corporeal ideas 
can enter into the soul : but by the ear, we may form ideas of invisi- 
ble and spiritual subjects. Consequently, had we been born deaf, it 
would have been extremely difficult for us to have received any in- 
structions concerning religion, God, the nature of the soul or salva- 
tion. We could not have acquired knowledge sufficient for any art 
or science whatever. In order to make his goodness still more mani- 
fest to different generations of men, God permits now and then a per- 
son to be born deaf. Let us never look on any of those helpless per- 
sons, without endeavouring to estimate better the worth of the sense of 
which they are deprived, and that goodness of God which has grant- 
ed it to us. And let us ever remember, that to make a proper use of 
our hearing, is the best method of testifying our gratitude to God for 
so great a gift. 



APRIL VI. 

THE GALAXY, OH MILKY WAY. 

When we examine the sky in a clear night, we discover a pale, ir- 
regular light, and a vast number of stars, the confounded rays of 
which compose that light. This apparent luminous cloud, or tract, 
forms what we term the Milky Way. 



APRIL VI. 165 



Galaxy, or Milky Way. 



These stars are at too great a distance to be perceived separately 
by the naked eye ; and what is more, among those which are visible 
through a telescope, there are spaces filled with an immense number 
of others, which even a good telescope cannot distinctly perceive. 
It is true that the number of those already discovered is prodigious ; 
but if we could make observations on the other side of our globe 
near to the antarctic pole, we should make new discoveries, and see 
a greater number of stars than have yet appeared on our hemisphere. 
And even then we should not be able to discover the half, no, nor the 
thousandth part of those radiant bodies which burn in the immense 
extent of the firmament of heaven. 

All the stars which we see in the Milky Way, appear only to be 
luminous points ; although the least of them is much larger than the 
whole terraqueous globe. When we view them with instruments of 
the greatest magnifying power they appear just as small as they do 
to the naked eye. Could an inhabitant of our globe ascend 160 mil- 
lions of miles, the fixed stars would still appear to him only as lumi- 
nous points. How incredible soever this may appear, yet it is not a 
chimerical idea, but a fact which is annually proved ; for, about the 
tenth of December we are more than 162 millions of miles nearer 
to the northern part of the heavens, than we are on the tenth of 
June. And notwithstanding this, we never perceive the stars to have 
any increase of magnitude ! 

This Milky Way, which is but little in comparison of the rest of 
the heavens, is sufficient to 'attest the m.agnificence of the Supreme 
Being : and each of the stars which we see in it, tells us of the wis- 
dom and goodness of our God. And what are these stars in compari- 
son of that immense number of globes and worlds which roll in the 
bosom of the firmament ! Here reason itself is confounded : to won- 
der and adore is all that is left to mortals. 

As often as we behold the starry sky, may we lift up our souls to 
thee, adorable Creator i How seldom, (with shame and regret we 
may confess it) how seldom have we thought of thee, when we 
viewed the firmament ! How little have we admired thy grandeur, 
or praised thy might ! Pardon this insensibility — this ingratitude ! 
Loose these souls, bound by earthly ties — loose them, and raise them to 
thyself, O Creator of heaven and earth ! Grant that a deep sense of 
our littleness may humble us at thy feet : then raise us by that su- 
blime hope, that our ransomed souls shall one day soar far above the 
region of the fixed stars ! Amen. 



APRIL VII. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE SEEDS OF PLANTS. 

To an attentive observer of the works of God, the vegetable king- 
dom is a school to teach the profound wisdom and unlimited power of 
this Supreme Being. Though we should live a hundred years pii 



166 APEIL VII. 



Reflections on the seeds of plants. 



earth, and though every day should be consecrated to the study of 
one particular plant ; there ivould still remain, at the end of those 
years, a number of things vyhich we had not observed, or which we 
were not capable of perceiving. Let us reflect on the production of 
plants ; let us examine their internal structure, and the formation of 
their different parts ; let us consider the simplicity and diversity dis- 
coverable in them, from the smallest blade of grass to the most 
exalted oak. Let us endeavour to understand the manner in which 
they grow, propagate, and are preserved ; and the different uses they 
are of, to men and animals. Each of these articles will be sufficient 
to occupy all the strength of our understanding ; and cause us to feel 
the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator. We may 
every where discover, with admiration, the most astonishing and in- 
^eomprehensible order, and the most excellent designs. 

Though we should know more of plants than the phenomena which 
every eye may observe : though we were only to know, that one 
grain of wheat when it is sown in the earth, first shoots a root down 
into the ground, then shoots a stem upwards, and bears branches^ 
leaves, and fruit, in which are included the germs of new plants : 
although, I say, we could know only this, it would be sufficient to dis- 
cover the profound wisdom of the Creator. Let us attentively con- 
sider all the changes which a grain of wheat undergoes in the earth : 
we sow it at a fixed time ; this is all we can do. But what does na- 
ture, or rather God, when we have thus left seed in the ground? 
As soon as the earth has furnished it with the requisite moisture, it 
swells : the external skin which hid the root, the stem, and the leaves, 
rends ; the root penetrates into the earth, and prepares sufficient 
nourishment for the stem, which then endeavours to sprout above 
ground. After it has sprung up, it increases gradually till it has at- 
tained its proper height; then it unfolds its leaves, which are white 
at first, then yellow, and afterwards tinged with a beautiful green. 
If we confine ourselves to examine only this grain of wheat, so ne- 
cessary to our subsistence, what a miracle of wisdom shall we disco- 
ver in it ! As soon as the covering which enclosed the germ is^ rent, 
and the root which is to support the grain, has penetrated the earth ; 
the stem ventures to shoot up in the form of a fine and delicate 
thread : and however weak it may appear, it is nevertheless suffi- 
ciently fortified against the intempsrature of the air. By degrees, it 
grows up and becomes an ear of corn, the sight of which is pleasing 
to man. The grain is enclosed in leaves, which serve as a sheath till 
it is strong enough to break through them, and it is generally armed 
with points to defend it from the birds. 

The fields on which corn is sown, should put us in mind of those 
fields where God sows another sort of seed. Human bodies laid in 
the grave, are also a seed which is to grow up and ripen for eternity, 
in considering a grain of wheat, we have as little reason to expect 
that it will produce an ear (though the essential parts u. are inclu- 
xled in the grain) o,s we have to believe that our bodies, reduced to 



APRIL VII. 167 



Reflections on the seeds of plants. 



dust, shall become glorious bodies, though the essential mattej; of this 
glorified body is probably included in this earthly one. But, let us 
wait patiently, and this harvest will also come. 

• " The time will come when the seed shall unfold itself, our dust 
shall arise, and we, if saved from our sins, shall live the life of Jesus. 
Ye-, who contemn this faith, how shall ye appear in that great day ? 
Gut bodies, it is true, shall rot, and be turned to dust; but we shall 
not continue for ever in that state to which death has reduced us. 
Our souls, saved from sin, shall rest from the labours of this life in the 
bosom of our God, filled with happiness and adoration. Eye hath not 
seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to 
conceive a state of salvation so glorious as this !" 



APRIL VIII. 

THE AZURE COLOUR OF THE SKY. 

To judge merely by our senses, we might suppose that the great 
vault above our heads was painted in blue, and that the stars were so 
many brilliant nails stuck in it. It is true, that such an idea as this 
can only be found among children, and the lowest of the people. 
Yet, there are many who think themselves superior in capacity to 
the vulgar, who, notwithstanding, form very absurd notions of the 
sky. Perhaps the reader may ask, Why does the sky appear blue 
in the day time ? The reason is this : our atmosphere is not quite 
transparent ; could we elevate ourselves to a great height above the 
earth, we should find that the air became more rare in proportion to 
our ascent, till respiration became impossible, and the atmosphere 
ended in pure ether. 

The higher we climb on mountains the lighter the air grows, and 
the paler the bright azure of the sky appears : and could we rise 
above the atmosphere the blue appearance would totally cease : the 
sky would appear as black as it does during the night ; for all objects 
which do not transmit rays of light to us, appear so : consequently, 
if the air which surrounds us were of a matter as transparent as 
ether, the sky could not appear blue. Our atmosphere is filled with 
a multitude of small particles, which, when illuminated bj the sun, 
receive a motion, by virtue of which new rays are produced, and 
these particles, obscure in themselves, become visiWe to us when 
thus illuminated. They are of a blue colour : hence a forest which 
appears green, when we are nigh to it, becomes more and more blu- 
ish in proportion as we recede from it. However pale and fine the 
blue rays of air may be, such a vast number of them fall upon the eye 
at once^ when we are in the open air, that the effect resulting from 
them is a dark blue. 

What has been said, may lead some to consider the heavens difie- 
rently to what they have done : and from this also we may conclude, 



168 APRIL VIII. 



Azure colour of the sky. 



that there is not a phenomenon in nature, not even the colour of the 
sky, in which we may not discover great contrivance, order, and 
utiHty. As green is the most pleasing colour for the general orna- 
menting of the earth, so the beautiful azure which adorns the hea-* 
vens, is best calculated to please the eye. How formidable is the 
aspect of the sky when it appears covered with clouds and storms ! 
But what majesty, what beauty, what simplicity, in the colour of the 
sky, when the weather is fair ? The apartments of kings, decorated 
with the pencil of the most eminent painter, are nothing in compari- 
son with the majestic simplicity of the celestial arch. When the eye 
has for a long time contemplated terrestrial beauties, it gets tired : 
but the more we behold the celestial azure, the more charms and 
beauty we discover in it. 

But who has clothed the sky with that colour, which has so richly 
adorned it 1 It is thou alone, O Almighty Creator ! On thee may I 
meditate, and to thee may I render due praise, as often as my eyes 
behold the celestial azure. 



APRIL IX. 

THE UTILITY AND NECESSITY OF THE AIR. 

Air is the element to which this lower world owes its life, beauty, 
and preservation. All the changes which we see take place in different 
beings here below, depend upon the air. It is absolutely necessary to 
the existence of animals ; for the greater part of them could not Hve 
more than half a minute, if they were deprived of it : and the others 
could not bear the want of it more than two days at the most. Not 
only terrestrial animals, and those which inhabit the air, cannot live 
without this element ; but it is also indispensably necessary to the 
inhabitants of the waters, who need fresh air as well as other animals. 
Birds cannot fly, but as they are supported by the air : hence their 
lungs have openings, through which the air passes into the whole cavity 
of thfc belly. This circumstance alone discovers to us His profound 
wisdom v/ho has formed them: for the body of the bird being filled, 
and puffed out by the air, becomes lighter, and is better adapted to 
flight. 

Even plants, in order to vegetate, have need of air ; hence it is that 
they are full of a muWtude of little vessels whix^h serve to take it in ; 
and by means of which the smaDest particles are saturated with the 
necessary juices. Nothing would be easier than to multiply proofs of 
the necessity of the air : let us rnention one circumstance only, which 
Will clearly demonstrate this necessity. If the air did not exist, there 
would be no twilight before the rising of the sun. It would arise 
suddenly above the horizon, aad would appear as bright as it is at 
noonday : nor would its appearance be in the smallest measure changed, 



APRIL IX. . 169 



The utility and necessity of the air. 



till the instant in which it disappeared ; and from that moment we should 
be in the thickest darkness. The sun, indeed, would strike our eyes 
with a vivid light, if there were no air ; but it would appear during 
the night, like a great fire burning in an open country. It would, in 
some sense, be day, as long as the sun and the objects which imme- 
diately surround us should be visible : but all the rays which fell on 
bodies placed at a certain distance, would be reflected in a right line, 
and be lost in the infinite extent of the heavens. Thus, though the 
sun were placed directly over our heads, we should nevertheless 
experience a species of night, if the atmosphere were • not placed 
between us and that luminary. 

Let us recapitulate all the advantages which the air produces to our 
globe. It preserves life, as it is the principle of respiration to living 
creatures. Through it, winged animals fly; and by its assistance, 
fish swim. Sounds are propagated by it, and it holds the earth in 
equilibrio with other globes. Without it, neither vapours, rains, nor 
winds could be formed. But, it is also necessary to fertilize the 
earth ; to promote the vegetation of plants ; and to disperse, by its 
agitations, the malignant vapours which exhale from different bodies. 
The sun itself could not furnish us with either a sufficiency of light 
or heat, if the air did not surround our globe. No person could be 
heard, if the air did not set the organs of speech in play, if it did not 
transmit sounds, and act on the organs of hearing. How innumerable, 
then, in every respect, are the advantages which the air produces to 
the human race ! 

If we should accustom ourselves to contemplate this grand spectacle 
of the creation with an attentive mind : we should be naturally led, 
were there no other motives, to exalt the works and the benefits of 
our God. The reason why we have hitherto neglected this duty is, 
we have taken but a superficial view of his works : and while we 
enjoyed his blessings, our hearts have not deeply felt their own 
unworthiness. Let me entreat the reader, for his own peace and 
happiness, to endeavour, by the aid of divine grace, to become an 
attentive and sensible spectator of the works of God ; for, to those 
who consider them, they are a source of pure and permanent joy. 



APRIL X. 



DIFPERENT SOILS. 



The soil is not the same in all places. The upper bed is commonly 
foimed of black, friable, and rich earth, which being mixed with 
the remains of plants and animal substances, becomes the nourishing 
parent of the many thousands of vegetables which enrich our globe. 
But e\en this bed varies in quality; in some places it is light and 
sandy : in others it is clayey and heavy : sometimes it is moist, at 
other times dry ; here warm, there cold. Hence it is, that plants and 



170 APRIL X. 



Different soils. 



herbs, which grow naturally in some countries, do not succeed in 
others, without art and cuhivation: and this diversity of soils is also 
the cause why vegetables of the same species differ among them- 
selves, in various respects, according to the nature of the soil on 
which they grow. 

In this also the wisdom of the Creator may be clearly seen : if all 
soils were alike, if all were of the same quality, and had the same 
constituent parts ; we should be deprived of many thousands of vege- 
tables, as each species of plant requires a soil analogous to its nature. 
Some plants require a dry, others a wet soil : some require warmth, 
others delight in cold ; some grow best in the shade, others in the 
sun. Some spring on the mountains, and many more in the vallies. 
Hence it is, that each country has a certain number of plants, which 
are 'peculiar to it ; and do not succeed perfectly in others. Let the al- 
der be transplanted into a sandy soil, and the willow into one that is rich 
a'nd dry, and it will be found that these soils are not suitable to the 
nature of these trees ; and that it will answer better to plant the first 
near marshes, and the second by the sides of rivers. Thus the Cre^ 
ator has provided for every class and species, by assigning them that 
soil which is most analogous to their internal constitution. It is true 
that art succeeds sometimes in forcing nature to produce according to 
our wishes : but it seldom happens that the effects of this restraint 
repay the trouble and expense : and in the end it is found that nature 
has great advantages over all the researches and operations of art. 

The same variety which is found in the soil of our globe, appears 
also in the characters of mankind. There are some whose hearts 
are so insensible that they cannot profit by instruction : no motive in- 
fluences, no truth, however self-evident, awakes them from their stu- 
pidity. This character may be compared to that stony soil, which no 
temperature of the air, no culture, however assiduous, can render 
fertile. A character almost as worthless, is that where levity predo- 
minates. People of this class also receive the salutary impressions of 
religion and piety ; but if the least obstacle occurs, they are discoura- 
ged, and their zeal vanishes as quickly as their good resolutions. Such 
are those frivolous, timid, and cowardly people, in whose minds truth 
and piety can take no root, because there is no depth. They resem- 
ble those light and dry soils where nothing comes to maturity ; where 
every thing is dried up by the scorching heat of the sun, because the 
soil does not furnish the plants with the necessary nutritious juices. 
But, how happy are those in whom, as in a good soil, the seeds of 
piety spring up, ripen, and produce an abundant harvest of good 
fruit! 

On these different dispositions found among men, depends, less or 
more, the effect which the sacred word produces in their hearts. In 
vain does the sower sow the best seed ; if the soil which recei\«s it 
have not corresponding qualities, all his toils are useless : the purity 
and goodness of the seed can never supply the natural defect? of the 
soil, For, while it is so hard and compact that the seed cannot 



APRIL X. 171 



Different soils. 



pen-etrate it : or so sandy that it cannot take root ; or so full of stones 
-that th€ seed is choked ; it is impossible that it should bring forth good 
fruit. 

To which of these classes do I belong ? Probably, my heart has not 
that degree of hardness which resists all impressions : but does it not 
resemble those light soils which here and there produce a stalk of corn, 
all of which are soon found to wither. Good thoughts, and holy reso- 
lutions, have often filled my heart : but, how short has their duration 
been! Alas! I plainly see that this heart must be changed before 
the seeds of faith and piety can bring forth good fruit ; and before I 
c-an come to the enjoyment of blessedness. But, to effect this change 
is heyond the compass of my power : it is the work of the Divine 
Spirit. " Lord, come to my help ; make me like the fruitful soil ; 
that, being faithful to my vocation, I may bring forth abundance of 
fruit : that I may be rich in good works^ preserving the gift of thy 
^^n^ace in an honest an-d good heart I" 



APRIL XI. 

THE NECESSITY OF REST BY NIGHT. 

Labour is undoubtedly necessary to man : every one, according 
to his state and condition should apply himself to it : and it is certain 
that a great part of the happiness and convenience of life depends on 
it. But, we must grant that the strength of human nature would be 
speedily exhausted, and man become in every respect incapable of 
using the members of his bod}^ and the faculties of his mind, if God 
did not continually supply him with such strength and activity as are 
necessary to fulfil the duties of his vocation. As we daily lose a 
portion of our nutritious juices, we should be speedily exhausted, 
and fail into a mortal decay by too great an exertion of strength, 
were not our animal spirits incessantly renewed. That we may be 
able to labour, it is necessary that a matter inconceivably thin and 
active should be separated from the blood, which is termed the ner- 
X oils fluid. This fluid puts the springs of the brain-muscles in play, 
and supports the action and motion of our bodies. But the continual 
dissipation which is made of this matter would soon destroy it ; and 
man would fall in langour, if these losses could not be continually 
repaired. The aliments could neither be digested, nor distributed 
regularly through the body, if we were constantly employed in labour. 
It is therefore necessary, that the operations both of the head, hands, 
and feet, should be at times suspended, to the end that the heat and 
animal spirits which were dispersed through the external parts, should 
be employed to assist the functions of the stomach, during the repose 
of the other parts of the body. Sleep renders us this important ser- 
vice. Towards the close of the day, the sn-ength which had been 
in exercise from the morning, diminishes ; the vital spirits are weak- 



172 APEIL XL 



Necessity of rest by night. 



ened ; the senses grow dull, and we are allured to sleep, without being 
able to resist. As soon as we give way to it we are refreshed and 
strengthened. The meditations of the brain and the labours of the 
body cease at once; and the fatigued limbs acquire new strength. 
This reparation is as necessary to the body as to the mind. It ren- 
ders our limbs more pliant and active, and preserves all the motions 
of the body in their due order; it reanimates our intellectual faculties, 
and diffuses fresh activity and serenity through our souls. 

How culpable are those who, through frivolous pretexts, base in- 
terest, or to satisfy their passions, deprive themselves of proper time 
for sleep ? They not only disturb thereby the order of nature ; an 
order which has been established for their welfare, but they wan- 
tonly enervate the strength of their bodies, and bring themselves to 
an untimely death. Why should we be so foolish as to deprive our- 
selves of a blessing with which our heavenly Father equally furnishes 
the rich and the poor ; the ignorant and the learned ; the great and 
the small ? Why should we shorten our days, when a wise and gra- 
cious Providence has established sleep as a mean of preserving our 
life ? Why should we voluntarily deprive ourselves of that restoring 
rest which sleep procures us ? Alas ! nights may come in which, far 
fi-om tasting its sweets, we may be tossed on a bed of anguish, count- 
ing the doleful and tedious hours. And, probably, we shall never 
know the worth of sleep till we shall wish for it in vain. 

Each night there are doubtless more than 30,000 of my fellow- 
creatures who, through pain and sickness, are deprived of the bles- 
sings of rest. I return thee thanks, O my God, that I am not one of 
the number of these unhappy people ! Sleep has in general had its 
proper influence upon me, as few of my nights have been disturbed 
by watching ; and a few of my days spent in grief or disappointment. 
I bless thee for those days and nights which have passed away so 
agreeably. Continue, O Lord, to remember me for good ; and if the 
wish be not opposed to thy holy will, grant that my future days and 
nights may be spent, at least as comfortably, and more to thy glory, 
than those that are past ! 



APRIL XII. 

THE MAGNITUDE OF OUR GLOBE. 

It is not so easy as we imagine to determine exactly the size of 
the earth. It is true, there is but one longitude ; but there are two 
latitudes, the north and the south. Both of these being at the equa- 
tor ; the one extends northward, the other southward, as far as the 
arctic and antarctic poles. But no one as yet has been able to reach 
either pole. The mountains of ice in Greenland, and the Northern 
Sea, have always obstructed the passage to the north pole : and im- 
mense fields, mountains, and islands of ice have rendered the pas- 



APRIL XII. 173 



Magnitude of our globe. 






sage to the south pole impossible. Thanks, however, to the geome- 
tricians, we can at present know very nearly the size of our globe. 
According to the most exact calculations, the surface of the earth is 
199,512,595 square miles. The seas and unknown parts of the 
earth, by a measurement of the best maps, contain 160,522,026 
square miles. The inhabited parts contain about 38,990,569 square 
miles, in the following proportion : 

Europe 4,456,065 

Asia 10,768,823 

Africa 9,654,807 

America 14,110,87 

Hence it appears, that scarcely one third of the globe is habitable. 
It has been calculated, that there might be at least three thousand, 
millions of men upon the earth at once : but in reality there are no 
more than about a thousand and eighty millions ; of which there are, 
In Asia 650 millions, 

In Africa 150 

In America 150 

In Europe 130 

If then, we suppose the earth to be inhabited by one thousand mil- 
lions of men, or thereabouts; and that 33 years make a generation; 
it follows, that in the aforesaid space of time, a thousand millions of 
men die. Therefore the number of men who die on the earth 
amounts 

Each year to 30,000,000 

Each day to , 86,400 

Each hour to 3,600 

Each minute to 60 

Each second to 1 

This calculation is very striking. If the mortality be so great 
each year, and even each day : is it not very possible that I myself 
may soon be one that shall increase the bills of mortality ? At least 
it is certain, that this consideration should lead me every hour to 
make the most serious reflections. At this very moment, one of 
my fellow creatures has departed from this world : and before- an hour 
has elapsed, more than 3000 souls shall have entered into eternity ! 
What a motive to induce us to think often and seriously upon death ! 
Prodigiously great as the earth may appear; it dwindles almost 
into nothing, when compared with the other worlds which roll over 
my head. The earth is scarcely, when compared with the universe, 
what a grain of sand is when compared with the highest mountain. 
And what is the universe, when compared to the inexpressibly glo- 
rious and infinitely great Creator of the heavens and the earth ? 
The world and all its inhabitants axe before Him as a drop in the 
backet, or as the smallest atom which sports in the sunbeams ! And 
what am I, among those thousands of millions of the inhabitants of 
the earth ! But what am I before Thee, thou incomprehensible, infi- 
nite and eternal Beins: ! 



174 APEIL XIII. 



Generation of birds. 



APRIL XIII. 

GENERATION OF BIRDS^ 

In this seaso'n of the year, a revolution takes place in nature, which 
certainly merits our whole attention. This is the time in which birds 
lay their eggs, and hatch their young. This miracle, which is re- 
newed every year, though little regarded, is in fact what cannot be 
too much admired, as the following reflections will demonstrate. 

In each impregnated egg, which has not yet been sat on, a small 
spot is seen on the yolk (about the size of a freckle) usually called 
the cicatrice. In the centre of this cicatrice there is a white circle, 
similar to a little partition extending a little upw^ard, where it appears 
to unite with certain little bladders. In the middle of this circle 
there is a sort of fluid matter, in which the embryo of the chick 
swims. It is composed of two lines, or white threads, which some- 
times appear separated from each other at the extremities, and be- 
tween which a fluid substance is seen of a leaden colour. The ex- 
tremity of the embryo is contained in a vesicle or small bag, encom- 
passed with a pretty large ligament, and in this the navel afterwards 
app'ears. The ligament is composed partly of a yellowish solid mat^ 
ter, and partly of a brown fluid, w^hich is also encompassed with a 
white circle. This is all that can be observed in an impregnated egg 
before incubation. After the hen has sat on it about twelve hours, 
there appears in the lineaments of the embryo, which is in the centre 
of the little cicatrice, a humid matter, which has the form of a litrle 
head ; on which "vesicles are seen, which afterwards become the ver- 
tebrse of the back. 

In thirty hours, the place of the navel appears covered with a mul- 
titude of little vessels or bladders ; then the eyes begin to be distin- 
guishable. The two white threads, which, in uniting, have, however 
left some space between them, enclose five vesicles, which are the 
matter of the brain and spinal marrow. The heart may then be 
seen : but whether the blood or heart be formed first, none has yet 
been able to ascertain. However this may be, we are sure that the 
embryo of the chick existed before incubation, in the impregnated 
egg : and after it has been some time sat on, the vertebrae, the brain, 
the spinal marrow, the wings, and a part of the muscles, may be dis- 
tinguished, before the heart, blood, or vessels, can be perceived. At 
the end of thirty-six hours, the place of the navel is covered with a 
number of vessels, separated from each other by unequal spaces. In 
all likelihood, these existed before in the cicatrice ; but only become 
visible now by the fluid which swells them. When the essential 
parts of the chick are thus developed, it continues to grow larger and 
larger, till in about twenty or twenty»one days, it is strong enough to 
break the shell in which it was enclosed. 

We owe all these discoveries to certain great naturalists, who, by 
the assistance of the microscope, have followed, almost hour by hour 



APRIL XIII. ITS' 



Generation of birds. 



the progress of the formation and developement of the chick. But, 
notwithstanding all the information which we derive from their obser- 
vations, there are many mysteries which probably will ever elude 
our researches. How does the embryo come into the egg ? And 
how is it, that by means of heat, (for this is all the hen commu- 
nicates) it acquires a new life and being ? What is it that puts the 
essential parts of the chick in motion ? And what is that vivifying 
spirit, which penetrates through the shell into the heart of the chicky 
and occasions its pulsations ? Who has inspired the birds with an 
instinct to multiply by a way which is common to all ? How do they 
know that their young is enclosed in the shell ? Who disposes them to- 
sit willingly on the nest all the time necessary to hatch them ? These 
are questions which no man can answer in a satisfactory manner. 

The little we do know concerning the generation of birds, is suffi- 
cient to show us the wisdom of the Creator ; for the generation already 
noticed, cannot be attributed to blind chance, nor to art assisting na- 
ture. God had the wisest reasons for ordaining that certain animals 
should not arrive at their perfection till after they come from their 
mother's Avomb; while others continue in it till every part is formed. 
He w^ho does not see the hand of God in the generation of birds, will- 
not see it any where : for if the most profound wisdom be not mani- 
fest in this, it is discoverable in nothing. 

O man ! spectator of the wondrous works of God, adore, with me^- 
the infinitely wise Being. Do not disdain to seek, in apparently mean 
objects, the impress of his ineffable goodness, power, and wisdom: 
especially, when it is for thy advantage, nourishment, and pleasure^ 
that so many birds are perpetuated on the earth» 



APRIL XIV. 

PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATHEKo 

Winds, heat, cold, rain, snow, fog's, drought, and other alterations in 
the temperature of the air, do not always depend on regular and fixed 
causes. There are, how^ever, certain signs in nature which may 
enable us to guess pretty nearly what sort of weather is about to take 
place. The position of our globe in respect to the sun which we 
observe in the four seasons of the year ; the changes of the moon, 
ivhich can be known to a moment ; the influences w^hieh these hea- 
venly bodies, and all the planets in our system, have on the heat, the 
cold, the motion, and the stillness of the air, are so many immutable 
laws, on which, prognostics concerning the weather, may be founded. 
The consequences drawn from these are the less to be despised, be- 
cause they are founded on experience ; and according to the rules of 
analogy we judge of the future by the past. It is true, that a thousand 
accidental circumstances may occasion alterations in tlie weather, 
which we had no reason to expect; but we should consider, that 



176 APRIL XIV. 



Prognostics of the weather. 



these accidental circumstances are seldom of long duration ; and if they 
bring about any change in the ordinary course of the weather, it is but 
for a short time, and in some particular places. 

That, in general, the changes of the weather are according to such 
stated rules ; and that they may be foreseen, is what our annual ob- 
servations sufficiently prove. We are seldom mistaken in supposing 
that the north and east winds will bring cold, the south wind heat, and 
the west wind rain : and that during the north-west wind, it rains in 
summer, and snows in winter. We may conjecture, with the same pro- 
bability, that when the sky is red in the morning, there will be rain or 
wind in the course of the day : and that a red sky in the evening 
(when it is not a copper colour) promises fair weather the day follow, 
ing. The weather we have in spring shows us what we shall have 
in summer. If, in spring we have much fog, it is a proof we shall 
have a wet summer. If there be great floods in spring, in the summer 
we shall have extraordinary heat and many insects. When there have 
been storms in spring, there is no reason to apprehend either hoar or 
night frosts. 

But, supposing that it were utterly impossible to foretel the wea- 
ther, we may, notwithstanding, be perfectly easy on that head. The 
variations of the weather, taken in the mass, are formed according to 
regular rules which God has established with much wisdom. And 
we may reckon, with certainty, that however unfavourable the wea- 
ther may appear, it will, nevertheless, be advantageous to the earth, 
and contribute to its fertilization. In all the alterations which the 
temperature of the air undergoes, we may confide in that God who 
always proposes the most wise and beneficent ends in all his dispensa- 
tions : without whose will there could be neither heat nor cold, rain 
nor drought, tempests nor calms ; and who can turn to the good of the 
earth and its inhabitants, even those phenomena which appear most 
injurious. 

" All the ways of the Lord are marked with his goodness. And all 
his paths are loving kindness. Wisdom and benignity manifest them- 
selves in all his dispensations ; all that he does proclaims his glory, and 
invites us to praise and adore him. Let us for ever bless the name of 
the Lord ; let all men exalt Him ; and let all that breathe celebrate his 
praises from generation to generation!" 



APRIL XV. 



THE POSITION OF THE SUN. 



God has assigned a situation to the sun which is perfectly suited to 
the nature of that luminary, and to the uses for which he has designed 
it. He has given it a determined bulk, and has fixed it in a space 
proportioned to the motions which it was appointed to execute. God 
has placed at a proper distance those planets on which the sun is to 



APRIL XV. 177 



Position of the sun. 



act ; and this position which has been assigned to him so many thou- 
sands of years ago, he has kept without ever departing from it: be- 
cause, in fact, the least deviation would occasion the greatest disorders 
in the empire of nature. Certainly, nothing but unlimited power 
could work such a miracle. God alone could create this immense 
globe, fix it in a proper place, mark its limits, determine its motion, 
subject it to fixed rules, and support it invariably in the position and 
order which he has prescribed in the beginning. What wisdom and 
goodness beam forth in this arrangement, both in respect to the pla- 
netary system in genefal, and to the earth and all its inhabitants in 
particular ! 

The burning rays which proceed from a globe of fire a rrfillion of 
times larger than the earth, must have an inconceivable activity, if, in 
falling, they continued United to each other : but, as they separated 
more and more in proportion as they depart from their common cen- 
tre, their power is diminished in proportion as they diverge. 

Had our earth been placed in a point where these rays were too 
numerous or too near, it could not have borne the intens-e heat. Had 
it been thrown to the extremity of the solar system, it would have 
received only a faint light, and too little warmth to ripen its fruits 
and ordinary productions. The sun, therefore, is fixed in the very 
place in which it ought to be. He can new communicate to our 
world a sufficiency of light and heat ; penetrate and vivify the earth 
by his benign rays : rarefy the atmosphere ; and produce all those 
effects, without which we could neither have dew nor rain, snow, 
hail, fogs, clear, or serene days. Placed as it is, it produces the regu- 
lar vicissitudes of day and night, as well as the different seasons of 
the year; and diversifies, in each of them, its action and influence. 

It is not only to the sun, but also to the planets and fixed stars, and 
to all the bodies which appertain to our world, that God has allotted 
a place suitable to their nature and agreeable to the ends for which 
he has created them. To me, who am nothing, in comparison of the 
sun, the Lord has condescended to appoint the place and state which, 
in every respect, are most suitable to me. May I fill up the duties of i 
my place and condition with as much exactness and fidelity as the sun 
does his important functions, according to the invariable laws which 
were prescribed to him at the instant of his creation! May I, in the' 
place which I occupy, and in proportion to my powers, be as useful 
to the world, divide with ray fellow-creatures the advantages I enjoy, 
communicate to the ignorant the knowledge I possess, comfott and 
strengthen the weak, and liberally distribute among the indigent the 
good things with which his providence has blest me I 



S3 



178 APRIL XVL 



The permanency of corporeal beings. 



APRIL XVL 

THE PERMANENCY OF CORPOREAL BEINGS. 

Nothing perishes in nature. From the beginning of the world to 
the present moment, not one grain of sand, not one atom has been an- 
nihilated. The first forests produced by the powerful word of God, 
were adorned with an innumerable multitude of leaves : these fell 
off, withered, rotted, and ceased to be leaves. But the particles 
which composed them still remained : they were changed into dust, 
clay, or earth, but not annihilated. The matter out of which the first 
leaves and herbage have been formed, subsists to this day, without 
having lost any of its essential parts. The plants which flourish at 
present, shall exist, as to their component parts, as long as the world 
shall endure. The wood which we burn, ceases, it is true, to be 
wood ; but its parts do not cease to exist. They are dispersed into 
ashes, soot, and smoke ; but none of them is annihilated. The em- 
pire of nature is liable to continual changes ; every thing is decom- 
posed, every thing is regenerated ; but nothing finally perishes. 

Let us not judge of these things by appearances. When revolutions 
and disorders happen in nature, we are apt to suppose that many be- 
ings are totally destroyed ; but this is an error j the)'' are only differ- 
ently modified, and becom^-'lnaterials which enter into the composi- 
tion of other beings. The water which is dissipated into vapour, does 
not perish : it decreases in one place, to increase in another. That 
which ignorant people consider as an entire destruction, is only, in 
reality, a simple change of parts. And the world, considered in the 
whole, is the same at present as it was the first day of the creation ; 
although a multitude of the parts which compose it, have undergone 
very considerable alterations. 

Here we may think of our own bodies, and the change they will ex- 
perience in the grave. It is true, they shall be entirely corrupted; 
but annihilated they cannot be ; for the integral parts which compose 
them shall remain for ever. A proper conviction of this truth will 
be sufficient to fortify us against the fear of the grave and corrup- 
tion ; and, at the same time, to confirm our souls in the hope of a re- 
surrection. 

" Why then should my heart be troubled ? Why should it shudder 
at the thought of the grave ? That which goes dov/n into the tomb, 
and is shut up there, is not I, but my earthly house. As to myself, I 
cannot be destroyed: every member is counted, and shall he pre- 
served ; what I have been, I shall be for ever ; and shall endure 
world without end." 

The continual duration of corporeal beings may lead us to conclude, 
with much probability, that the soul also is immortal. Since none of 
our earthly parts can be annihilated, can we suppose that our souls 
shall be the only created things which shall perish? No, the whole 



APRIL XVI. 179 



The permanency of corporeal beings. 



corporeal world may sooner be annihilated than that one soul should 
perish which has been redeemed by Christ Jesus. 



APRIL XVIL 

THE UTILITY OF RAIN. 

In the most proper sense of the word, rain deserves to be called a 
gift from heaven. The blessings which our heavenly Father pours 
upon us by this means are equally numerous and indispensable. As 
extensive as the desolation occasioned by a continual drought would 
be, so are the precious gifts which a refreshing and beneficent rain 
procures for us. It is impossible to describe, or conceive, all the ad- 
vantages which accrue to us from rain. But, if we cannot exactly 
enumerate them, we may, at least, reflect on some of the most consi- 
derable. 

The heat of the sun acts uninterruptedly on the different earthly 
bodies, and continually detaches subtile particles from them which fill 
the atmosphere in the form of vapour. With the air, we should res^ 
pire those dangerous exhalations, were they not, from time to time, 
precipitated by rain ; which bringing them down to the eartft, thus 
purifies and refines the air. It is not less useful to us, in moderating 
the scorching heat of the atmosphere ; and the reason of this is very 
evident : fox the nearer the air is to the earth, the more it is warmed 
by the reflection of the rays ; and the farther it is from us, the colder 
it is. The rain which falls from a high region brings a reviving cool- 
ness to those below, the pleasing effects of which we feel as soon as 
it has fallen. 

It is also to rain that we must partly impute the origin of fountains, 
wells, lakes, brooks, and consequently rivers. Every person knows 
in what abundance we are supplied with these different waters in vi^et 
and rainy seasons : whereas they evaporate during a long drought. 
But, to be fully convinced how useful and necessary the rain is, we 
need only observe how the earth and its vegetables flourish after these 
fruitful showers, without which every thing would perish. The 
rain is, in various respects, the food of vegetables. It moistens and 
softens the earth, which otherwise would be parched, and in some 
sort, petrified by the heat of the sun. It conveys to, and circulates 
in, the delicate veins and vessels of plants and trees, those nutritious 
juices which support their life, and increase their size. When it 
washes the mountains, it brings down a soft, friable, and rich mould, 
which it deposits in the vallies where it falls, and thus renders them 
fruitful. 

O Lord I thou hast arranged all with wisdom ; the earth is full of 
thy goodness. Such, doubtless, is the consequence which the reader 
should draw from this meditation. And, if by this he is excited to 
adore and praise God, it is to be hoped that the following reflections 



180 APRIL XVII. 



The utility of rain. 



on the same subject, will tend to impress this duty more deeply on his 
heart. 

How beautiful a spectacle does a clear and serene sky present to 
our eyes ! Is not that beautiful azure vault, which is stretched out 
over our heads, sufficient to fill every heart with admiration and joy ? 
But all the beauties of the sky cease, as soon as, in obedience to the 
winds, the clouds come and draw a thick curtain before our eyes. 
With what reflections does such a change inspire us ? — These are 
such as we should make. Whatever the beauties were which we 
contemplated with so much astonishment and delight, there are some 
more incomparably excellent, of which no cloud can deprive us, and 
which alone can perfectly compensate us for the loss of all others. 
For, what are all the beauties of nature, in comparison with the beau- 
ties of this glorious Being ; the contemplation of whom can alone 
constitute the felicity of an immortal spirit ? 

It is not without a wise design, that God deprives us, at certain times, 
of the things which please us the most. He designs that we should 
seek our happiness in himself ; and ever consider him as our sovereign 
good. — Besides, are not these privations which we sometimes expe- 
rience, compensated by several outward advantages ? These clouds 
which hide from us the beauties of the sky, are the sources of those 
beneficent showers which fertilize the earth. Let us always remem- 
ber, that though adversities may render our days gloomy and distress- 
ing; yet we may be persuaded that these afflictions shall be made, in 
the hands of our heavenly Father, instruments of our felicity. 

Let us also consider rain as an emblem of the gifts of fortune. For, 
however beneficial moderate rains may be, they may be also as exten- 
sively injurious when they are of too long a duration, and when they 
come at improper times. It is the same with terrestrial goods ; too 
great an abundance may be the cause of our destruction. Let us 
praise our heavenly Father that he has refused us those gifts which wc 
should have found, in the end, to have been real punishments. 

Finally, from what has been observed, let us learn to be contented 
with all the dispensations of that wise Providence which governs the 
world. God alone knows the proper method of distributing his own 
blessings. At his command the clouds come from afar to those places 
where they are to fulfil the will of their Creator. Shall man presume 
to direct their course, and to manage this one, and perhaps the most 
inconsiderable, part of the government of the universe ? How then 
can we be rash enough to blame the ways of Providence in matters of 
much greater importance ? 



APRIL XVIII. 181 



Of respiration. 



APRIL XVIII. 

OF RKSPIRATION. 

Respiration is the principal and most necessary of all the functions 
of animal life. Without this, it would be impossible to expel the sa- 
liva and excrements ; and to cast off the superfluous humours by- 
transpiration. Speech, and the several modulations of the voice, could 
not take place without respiration. It ministers to smelling : it serves 
to mix the chyle, the lymph, and the blood exactly together ; and the 
latter it tinges with its red colour, and probably supports and re- 
news the animal spirits, by mixing the air with the blood. It is a 
fact, that we could not exist an instant, if absolutely prevented from 
breathing. 

But whence does this fountain of life proceed ? How is it that we 
can respire ! The lungs are the organs by which v/e inspire and re- 
spire the air. This viscus resembles a large purse, the top of which 
is fastened to a tube, by which the air penetrates into an infinity of 
vessels, trunks, and branches, which form the internal structure of 
the lungs. When the air rushes into the lungs the abdomen swells 
up, the ribs expand, and the lower part of the sternum or breast-bone 
comes forwai^. On the contrary, when we expel the air from the 
lungs, the abdomen is depressed, the ribs lower, and the sternum 
withdraws towards the back. 

That all this operation may be performed in the most convenient 
manner, the Creator has, with the utmost wisdom, adjusted the inter- 
nal parts of the body. More than sixty muscles are continually em- 
ployed to procure respiration, by alternately dilating and contracting 
the cavity of the breast. Nothing can be more admirable than the 
construction of the windpipe. It is covered at top with a valve, 
which shuts it up closely in the moment of deglutition, which pre- 
vents the aliments from passing that way, and the breathing from be- 
ing interrupted. — We do not discover fewer wonders in the lower 
part of this organ : in the branches of the windpipe, in the vessels of 
the lungs, in the distribution of the arteries and veins, which every 
where accompany the bronchim and vesicles, that the blood which 
they contain may every where receive the influence of the air. 

It is very just that we should bless our Creator, who, having given 
us the faculty of respiration, has hitherto, by his goodness, preserved 
our breath. What emotions of gratitude and adoration should arise 
in our souls, when we consider that we respire 20 times in each minute, 
and consequently 300 times in a quarter of an hour ! Thousands of 
accidents might interrupt and destroy this faculty of breathing. How 
many things, during our eating, drinking, or sleep, might enter into 
the windpipe, and put a period to our lives ! If the Lord, by his 
providence, had not condescended to preserve our breath, and if he 
had not prevented the fatal consequences of our imprudence or negli- 
gence, we should have been long ere this deprived of life. Do we 



182 APRIL XVIII. 



Of respiration. 



feel that gratitude which these continual proofs of his goodness de- 
mand ? Respiration is one of those favours which we every moment 
enjoy, without considering that it is to the great God we owe it. It 
would, however, be very just and right; that we should often reflect 
upon so great a benefit continually received ; and were we habitually 
attentive to the particular and daily mercies we enjoy, we could, with 
more ecstasy and delight, contemplate the whole of the works and 
wonders of God, and be more sensibly affected by them. 

Sovereign of my days ! Master of my life and breath, do thou inspire 
my soul with those sentiments which I ought to possess ! And give 
me not only the desire, but also the power, to celebrate thy infinite 
goodness ! 



APRIL XIX. 

FROOFS OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD, FROM THE WORKS OF CREATION. 

The most common and observable phenomena we see, either on the 
earth or in the air, manifestly relate to the service and benefit of the 
animal world. All that we see around us, above our heads, and under 
pur feet, serves for our support and enjoyment. 

What is more necessary for the preservation of our lives than food ? 
With this the earth is every where covered. Herbs, pulse, and fruits, 
for the support both of man and beast, are dispersed over the whole 
surface of the earth, so that there is scarcely any place where animals 
may not find suitable nourishment. Bui God has not confined himself 
merely to make provision for our subsistance and necessities; he 
condescends also to furnish us with what may contribute to our con- 
venience and comfort. Were the preservation of life alone neces- 
sary, water and common roots would be sufficient. But the Creator 
has furnished us with a great variety of aliments with the utmost 
liberality. He does not deal with us as a rigid economist, who gives 
to those who are dependant on him, only enough to preserve them 
from famishing; but, like a generous host, he spares no cost to treat 
his friends well, and furnishes them with such a profusion as may 
minister not only to their support, but also to their comfort and satis- 
faction. Such is the munificence of God towards every living crea- 
ture. There is scarcely a shrub, plant, herb, river, lake, or marsh on 
the earth, which does not serve for habitation and nourishment to some 
animals. In a tree, for instance, there are (besides the fruit,) leaves, 
bark, and wood : now each of these parts nourishes an innumerable 
multitude of living creatures. Caterpillars feed on the leaves : cer- 
tain worms live on the bark, others live in the woody part. Thus, 
there is nothing in nature but what is useful to some animal. How 
great must the benevolence of God be, who never forgets any of the 
creatures which his hands have made : and who always condescends 
to watch over, and provide for their necessities ! 



APRIL XIX. 183 



Proofs of the goodness of God. 



Wkat is more pleasing than the light ? The wise man said, Truly 
the light is siueet, and it is a yleasant thing to see the sun. Now, his 
rays fill the whole extent of the heavens, and as long as the day lasts, 
the eye is surrounded with his light. It partakes of this universal be- 
nefit, and through this it enjoys a varied and transporting view of the 
creation. Light discovers to us all the riches of the v/orks of God. 
Without it nature would be a desert to us ; and its innumerable beau- 
ties would be for ever unknown. 

How bountifully has God provided for the gratification of our senses ! 
For instance, he has chosen the softest and most proper colours to 
please and refresh the sight. Experience proves that hlue and green 
surfaces reflect those rays only which are least injurious to the eyes, 
and which they can contemplate the longest without being fatigued. 
Hence it is the Divine goodness has clothed the heavens with blue^ 
and the earth with green ; two colours which are the most pleasing 
and suitable to the organs of sight. They are vivid and pleasant 
enough to make agreeable impressions on the eye, and not too bright 
to injure it. They have also a variety of shades sufficient to distin- 
guish the objects, and prevent too great an uniformity. Besides 
plants of various green shades, the earth presents us with the most 
beautiful flowers, which, not only please the eye by thousands of difr 
ferent tints; but which also perfume the air, and regale our senses with 
the most delicious odours. The ear also is not unemployed : it is 
delighted with the songs of birds, which fill the air v/ith their melo- 
dious concerts. 

" With a heart full of gratitude and joy, I exalt thee, my God, 
and celebrate thy goodness ! Lord, how great is thy kindness, and 
how tender and affectionate are thy parental regards ! None of thy 
creatures is hidden from thy eyes ; none of them is despised or 
neglected by thee. They are all, without exception, the objects of 
thy providence, and thou ever watchest over the whole. May thy 
beneficence be for ever the subject of my meditations, and may my 
soul incessantly praise thee, and rejoice at the remembrance of thy 
goodness r' 



APRIL XX. 

BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF THE SFN's HEAT. 

At the approach of spring, revolutions take place before our eyes, 
which should fill every attentive spectator with astonishment. Na- 
ture gradually resumes the life which she appears to have lost during 
the winter. The earth is clothed with verdure ; the trees are 
covered with blossoms. New generations of insects and other ani- 
mals, burst forth from all parts, which rejoice in their existence, 
and which are endowed with a thousand different instincts. Every 
thing is animated :— all nature revives : and this new life, which {s 



184 APRIL XX. 



Beneficial influence of the sun's heat. 



manifested in the noblest parts of nature, the animal and vegetable 
kingdoms, is produced by the return of that heat which awakens their 
productions, and puts their renewed strength into motion. It is to 
the sun we owe this admirable revolution. He is the source 
of life, sensation and joy; for his salutary and vivifying rays are dif- 
fused through all the kingdoms of nature. Seeds feel his influence, 
and unfold themselves in the bosom of the earth. By him all plants 
and vegetables spring up and grow. His approach re-animates and 
strengthens all living creatures. All that breathes, lives, feels, or 
vegetates, proves the benign influences of this majestic globe. How 
would it be, were we deprived of the light and. heat of the sun ? 
How dismal would the earth appear, now become an uninhabitable 
desert ! The greater part of the creatures would fall into a state of 
stupor, and languish out a miserable existence. What a source of 
joy and gladness would our hearts be deprived of, if we no longer 
enjoyed the rays of the rising sun, nor the brightness of a serene 
sky ! Nothing could compensate the loss of the rising sun. The 
miidest night, the most temperate artificial heat, could not supply the 
place of that vivifying influence which the light of the sun communi- 
cates to all beings : and which is widely different in salutary efficacy 
from terrestrial fire. This, both men and animals know and expe- 
rience. An infirm person shut up in his warm room, with every 
assistance, will not gain as much strength in many weeks, as he 
would in a few days, under the mild influence of the sun in spring 
weather. Plants which are forced to grow by artificial heat, never 
come to that degree of strength and consistence as those do, which 
grow under the rays of the sun. In this case, every thing combines 
for the perfection of the plant : whereas in those produced by artificial 
heat, we perceive only the weak and languishing efforts of nature's 
substitute, without her energy. 

But could the sun exist, and could it communicate light and heat 
to us, if the great God, the Creator of all things, had not formed it, 
and given it power to diffuse its vivifying virtue over the earth ? It 
is from the Lord alone, that all benefits derived through the medium 
of the solar influence, proceed. It is He who has created the sun, 
regulated his rotation, and continues to maintain his light and splen- 
dour. Each morning he appears again, and we feel his salutary in- 
fluences through all the seasons of the year. Without the Supreme 
Being, there could be neither sun nor light, warmth nor spring. The 
sun's beneficent warmth, his beautiful and pure light, should lead us 
to Him who is the Being of beings, and the source of all good ; the 
Parent of happiness, and the Father of light. The heathens were 
too blind to acknowledge Him in the sun ; they stopped at the effect, 
without acknowledging the cause. But, hoy/ abundantly more happy 
are we, who know there could be no sun, if He did not exist : and 
that the sun himself could neither enlighten nor warm, but by the 
determination of the Most High. We should know that vegetation, 
growth, fructification, all the blessings which surround us, all our 



APRIL XX. 185 



Beneficial influence of tlie sun's heat. 



pleasing sensations, all that contributes to our happiness and delight 
come from G-od. The sun is but the instrument of his goodness, the 
minister of his will, and the herald of his glory. 

Doubtless, the world would be a lifeless desert, if deprived of the 
light and heat of the sun : and the heart of man, while destitute of 
the salutary influences, and the quickening grace of the Sun of 
Righteousness, is a barren waste, without life or joy. If our souls 
possess any life, any virtue, any happiness, it is from Him we have 
received them. All the other means which we can employ to be- 
come wise, pious, or happy, are of no effect without Him. I shall 
ever be a dead tree withour leaves or fruit, if his saving grace do not 
quicken me. Lord Jesus, condescend therefore to lift upon me the 
light of thy countenance ! For all creatures languish after the sun, 
and long for his appearance ; so may my soul long for thy appear- 
ance, and look towards thee with the most ardent desire ! Refresh 
and comfort my feeble spirit, quicken and strengthen my depressed 
heart ! and may thy grace make me fruitful in every good work ! 



APRIL XXI. 

RELATIONS WHICH ALL CREATURES HAVE TO EACH OTHER. 

The prodigious number of creatures on the earth, is a subject 
which w^ell deserves our admiration : but what should engage our at- 
tention still more is, the proportion between these, and the wise re- 
lations which connect this infinite number of different beings, so that 
they form but one regular and perfect whole. 

The extent of animated nature is incomprehensible, and, notwith- 
standing, every animal finds a sufficiency of nourishment. No spe- 
cies, however few there may be of them ; no individuals, however 
persecuted they may be, become extinct. That numbers of them are 
food for others, must be granted ; but the number of rapacious ani- 
mals is not great. Most of them are solitary; and do not multiply 
rapidly. Those which are pretty numerous, do not require much 
food, and to procure it costs them much art and labour. Many have 
enemies which prevent them from becoming numerous. Or else the 
weak and timid animals supply in number what they want in strength : 
and by all sorts of cunning and address, escape their adversaries. It is 
also observable, that for the preservation and multiplication of spe- 
cies, there is an exact equilibrium between the two sexes, so that 
there is no animal but finds a mate with which it may associate. 

The mineral kingdom is subservient to the preservation of animals ; 
and both serve for the use and benefit of man. The most useful 
plants, such as luheat, &c., grow wherever there are men and ani- 
mals, are most easily multiplied, and least liable to decay. The most 
useful animals are every where found in abundance. The produc- 
tions of different climates are suited to the particular wants of men. 

24 



136 APSIL XXI. 



Relations which all creatures have to each other 



Thus the hottest countries abound in cooling fruits. In countries- 
liable to drought, there are plants and trees which are as springs of 
water, which furnish enough to quench the thirst of men and animals. 
If waod for firing be deficient in any place, there, turf and coals are 
found in sufficient abundance. If there are countries which are des- 
titute of rain, and other means of fertility ; they are recompensed by 
inundations, as those of the Nile in Egypt. 

Among mankind also, there is the most exact proportion found be- 
tween the two sexes. The proportion between males and females is 
nearly equal. The number of males is to those of females, as 26 to 
25. In civil society, goods and talents are distributed in an admira- 
ble manner ; that as each individual may be happy according to his 
circumstances, so nothing that is necessary, is wanting to society in 
general. If the inclinations and propensities of men were not so 
varied ; if their tastes and tempers did not make them embrace dif- 
ferent kinds of life ; if there was not such a diversity in genius and 
mode of reasoning ; in beauty, in riches, and in other external cir- 
cumstances ; human society would be a gloomy desert. There is no 
class of men who can live independently of others. Every country 
has its particular advantages ; if these were common to all, there 
would be neither connexion nor commerce among men. 

In short, whithersoever we turn, we shall find the most admirable 
harmony, and the most exact proportions, Notwithstanding the in- 
finite variety of creatures, and the continual interruption of some of 
the laws of nature, it appears that in this immense universe, all is 
beautiful, and all perfectly connected and proportioned, so as to pro- 
mote the general good : and all is in the most exact and regular order. 
" On whatever side I cast my eyes, I see nothing but the most beau- 
tiful connexion, and the most dehghtful harmony : it shines every 
where, it embellishes every thing ; nothing is unconnected ; all con- 
spires to the same end, and to the general good. All is connected 
with the most astonishing art." 

Wise Author of nature, may we adore and exalt thee with the 
most profound admiration ! We should be unworthy to contemplate 
the magnificence and harmony of thy works — we should dishonour 
our reason, we should dishonour thee, if we did not admire the depths 
of thy wisdom. And what can we do more ? While we live here be- 
low, we shall know only in part, and see only the outlines of thy ad- 
mirable ways. WTiat we know is little in comparison of that which 
is hidden from our eyes ; and yet the glimpse which we now have, 
shows thy perfections ' to be impenetrable, and incomprehensible, 
Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see the miracles of thy wisdom ! 
Teach us to acknowledge this wisdom in all thy works, which are 
arranged with so much order and harmony ; teach us, above all, to 
admire that inefifable goodness which has regulated the whole in such 
a manner as to promote the utmost happiness of thy creatures. 



APRIL XXIL 187 



Constituent parts of water. 



APRIL XXII, 

THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF WATEIJ. 

When we drink water we think we enjoy a pure and simple ele- 
ment : but we are mistaken, for naturalists assure us that each drop 
of water is a little world, where the four elements and the three 
kingdoms of nature, are united. 

There is scarcely any water which is not full of hetreogenous 
matter, which is plainly visible when either distilled or filtered. How- 
ever incredible the thing may appear, it is put beyond doubt by the 
most exact and accurate experiments. 

Besides its elementary parts, water contains different earthy parti- 
cles : such, for example, as appertain to the mineral kingdom : calca- 
reous earths, nitre, and different kinds of salts. This we shall not 
be inclined to doubt, when we consider the abundance of earthy mat- 
ter which water must every where meet with, whether in the air, 
or in its course on the earth : which matter it either dissolves or 
carries along with itp Water contains also inflammable or sulphureous 
matter, which becomes manifest when it corrupts. Without these 
fiery particles, it would become a solid compact body : for as soon as 
it is deprived of its heat it congeals, becomes heavy, and acquires the 
hardness of a stone. Finally, that water is impregnated with air, is 
what we shall readily admit, if we attend to what happens when it 
begins to boil. Thus we see that water contains earth, salts, igneous 
particles, and air: so that it is literally true, that all the elements are 
united in one drop of water. 

But are plants and animals found in it ? It is certain that it contains 
the principles of vegetation, since all plants derive their nutritive 
juices from water; and neither grow nor come to perfection without 
it. As to the animal kingdom, we have the utmost evidence that it 
is distinguishable in water. Without mentioning fish, and other aqua- 
tic animals, with which it is peopled, there is not a single drop of 
water but has its inhabitants, and these are easily discovereable by 
the microscope. Besides, we know how readily insects are engen- 
dered in stagnant waters, the eggs of which are undoubtedly con- 
cealed in it, although some external circumstances may prevent them 
from coming forth. 

All this is well calculated to make us reflect on the beneficent wis- 
dom of the Creator. It is not by chance that water contains so many 
different particles. It would be the purest of all drinks were it an 
absolutely simple body ; but, on the other hand its medicinal virtue 
Avould be reduced to nothing. If we consider the manner in which 
v/ater nourishes plants, it is easy to presume, that it communicates 
the nutritious juices which it contains to men and animals in the same 
way. Water is not very nutritive by itself; but being very subtile, it 
dissolves the nutritious parts of aliments, is a vehicle for them, and 
carries them along in the minutest vessels. It is consequently the 



188 APRIL XXII. 



Constituent parts of water. 



most wholssome drink ; and is essentially necessary to men and ani- 
mals ; and its salutary effects are felt where all other liquids are found 
hurtful to health. 

How great should our gratitude be to God for every glass of water 
we drink ! With what goodness has he provided for our necessities ! 
He has prepared our food and our drink in that way which is best 
suited to our nature, and the most proper to preserve life and health. 
He has communicated a salutary virtue to the most ordinary and indis- 
pensable means of subsistence. Let God, therefore, be praised for 
the water which he has given us to quench our thirst, and to digest 
our food. And, supposing that we had nothing for the support of life 
but bread and water, let us learn to be contented with, and always 
grateful for them. Let us implore the blessing of God on the food 
we eat, and ask grace to use it with a satisfied and contented mind. 



APRIL XXIII. 

OF THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 

Vegetables, in general, come from seeds : and in most plants 
it is the blossoms which produce and fertilize the seed. Almost all 
flowers are folded up in the bud, where they are formed in secret, 
and are defended by their coats and external leaves. When the sap 
flows abundantly, especially in spring, the blossom grows larger, the 
bud opens, the tunics fall off, and the flower becomes visible. At the 
outside some very small leaves are seen of different colours, which 
serve to protect the organs of fructification : and probably also to 
prepare the nutritious juice which enters into those parts. But it is 
properly in the centre of the flower that the organs of fructification 
are found. In it there is a thread, or little pillar, called the pistil, 
which rises pretty high, especially in tulips. Round the pistil are the 
stamina, surmounted with tops, which contain a prolific dust of diffe- 
rent colours. The stamina are properly the male organs destined to 
impregnate the germs, and the pistil is the female part of generation : 
it is the womb which receives the fertilizing dust. 

Vegetables are also propagated by grafts. From a tender branch 
of a tree when in sap, they take an eye, or commencement of a 
branch, with a part of the bark, and insert it between the bark and 
ihe wood of another tree, after which they bind the whole up gently, 
by rolling a soft cord several times round it. From this eye a branch 
proceeds, which is of the same nature with the tree from which it 
was taken, although the tree in which it was inserted be quite of ano- 
ther sort. 

Trees, and other woody plants, are also perpetuated by slips 
From a willow, for instance, a slip is taken, i, e. a single stick or 
branch : this, after having the small branches cut off, is thrust in the 
ground. The branches are taken away, that they may not in the be- 



APRIL XXIII. 189 



Propagation of plants. 



ginning, take up much sap. Roots soon proceed from this slip, in 
those places where branches had begun to appear ; and it becomes a 
tree. 

Lastly, vegetables are propagated by roots ; but these should have 
eyes, without which they will never grow. Certain plants shoot out 
long filaments in all directions, which have knots or eyes ; these knots 
extend their fibres in the ground, and become so many new feet, 
which may be separated from each other, and become so many new- 
plants. A bulbous root is a species of eys, in which the plant is en- 
closed, between whose leaves there are little bulbs or eyes, so that 
the plant may be propagated by the leaves, when these little bulbs 
are attached to them. 

What a concourse of causes must operate in order to produce, pre- 
serve, and propagate vegetables ! Allowing even that the germs, pre- 
existed, what amazing art is necessary to unfold these germs, to give 
them their proper growth, and to preserve and perpetuate each spe- 
cies ! How fruitful a mother must the earth be, in whose bosom such 
multitudes of plants may be conveniently placed and eflectually nou- 
rished ! Water, which also contributes to the growth of plants, 
though in a less degree, must contain all those particles, the mixture 
of which is necessary to make them spring up and grow. The sun 
must put all these elementary principles in motion, cause the germs 
to vegetate by its heat, and ripen the fruit. 

It was necessary to establish a proper balance and exact proportion 
between plants, that on the one hand they might not multiply too fast, 
and on the other that there might always be a sufficiency. It was ne- 
cessary also that the texture, the vessels, fibres, and all the parts of 
plants should be so disposed, that sap, the nourishing juice, might 
penetrate through them, circulate in them, and be so digested and 
prepared, that the plant might receive its proper form, size, and 
strength. It was also necessary to determine exactly what number 
of plants should come of themselves ; and what others should stand 
in need of the care and culture of man. The work, therefore, of 
the generation and propagation of plants, is so complicated, and pas- 
ses through so many different processes, that it vvould be impossible 
to unravel the long series of causes and effects by which it is brought 
about. 

In all this, I acknowledge thy wisdom and goodness, O my adorable 
Creator ! Who, besides thee, could communicate to the elements 
that virtue necessary to perpetuate vegetables ? It is thou who hast 
given the sun that size and heat, necessary to act upon our earth, so 
as to produce such blessed effects. It is thou who hast created those 
elementary parts, of which plants are composed ; and which thou 
hast dispersed through the air, th« water, and the earth. It is thou 
who hast established the laws of motion, who hast formed the atmos- 
phere, and who produces by it rain, fogs, and clouds. It is thou who 
vivifiest the seeds, and who givest existence and growth to vegetables. 
The earth, at thy command, produces the plants, annually. Each 



190 APRIL XXIII. 



Propagation of plants. 



spring thou renewest the face of nature; and thou crownest the 
year with thy goodness. Author of plants and men ! may thy good- 
ness, power, and wisdom, be for ever celebrated! Let earth and 
heaven proclaim the glory of thy great name now, and through all 
eternity. 



APRIL XXIV. 

DIVERSITY OF FEATURES IN THE HUMAN FACE, 

It is a very evident proof of the adorable wisdom of God, that al- 
though the bodies of men are so conformed to each other in their essen- 
tial parts, yet there is so^ great a difference in their external appea- 
rance, that they may be easily and infallibly distinguished. Among so 
many millions of men, there are no two perfectly alike. Each has 
something peculiar which distinguishes him from all others, either in 
his face, voice, or manner of speaking. The variety in faces is the 
more astonishing, because the parts which compose the human face 
are few in number, and are disposed in every person according to the 
same plan. If all things had been produced by blind chance, the 
faces of men must as nearly resemble each other as eggs laid by the 
same bird; balls cast in the same mould; or drops of water out of 
the same bucket. But as this is not the case, we must admire the 
infinite wisdom of the Creator, which in diversifying the features of 
the face in so admirable a manner, has evidently had the happiness of 
man in view. For, if they resembled each other perfectly, so that 
they could not be distinguished from each, it would occasion an infi- 
nity of inconveniencies, mistakes, and deceptions in society. No man 
could ever be sure of his life, nor of the peaceable possession of his 
property. Thieves and cut-throats would run no risk of being dis- 
covered, if they could not be known again by the features of their 
face, nor by the sound of their voice. Adultery, theft, and other 
crimes, would go unpunished, because the guilty could scarcely ever 
be discerned. We should be every moment exposed to the malice 
of wicked and envious men : and we could not guard against an infi- 
nity of mistakes, frauds, and misdemeanors. And what uncertainty 
would there be in judiciary proceedings, in sales, transfers, bargains, 
and commerce ? What confusion in commerce ! What frauds and 
bribery in respect to witnesses ! Finally, the uniformity and perfect 
similitude of faces would deprive human society of a gi'eat part of its 
charms, and considerably diminish the pleasure which men find in con- 
versing with each other. 

The variety of features constitutes a part of the plan of the divine 
government : and is a striking proof of the tender care of God to- 
wards us: for it is manifest that not only the general structure of the 
body, but also the disposition of its particular parts, have been execu- 
ted with the greatest wisdom. Every where we behold variety, con- 



APRIL XXIV. 191 



Diversity of features in the human face. 



nected with uniformity ; whence result the order, proportions, and 
beauty of the human body. Let all who consider this subject, ad- 
mire the wise arrangements of the great Creator ! 



APRIL XXV. 

god's universal care of his creatures. 

All the creatures which live in the air, in the water, or on the 
earth, are objects of the care of Divine Providence. It is through 
this that so many different creatures are maintained in their particu- 
lar states, that they live, thrive, propagate their species ; and that 
each, according to its particular nature and faculties, accomplishes the 
end for which it v/as brought into being. Animals destitute of reason 
are endued with organs, strength, and sagacity suitable to their seve- 
ral destinations. Their instincts apprize them of what might be dan- 
gerous and hurtful, and enable them to seek, discern, and prepare the 
food and habitation which are destined for them. All this is supposed 
to be absolutely involuntary ; not the fruit of reflection and choice ; 
but that they are irresistibly impelled to it by those propensities 
which a superior power has given them for the preservation of their 
animal existence. They find suitable food and habitations ; and there 
is no species of animals which is destitute of what is necessary to its 
subsistence and well-being. 

Man is of a superior nature : but he comes into the world in a 
state of greater weakness, and has much more need of succour than 
most other animals. His necessities, faculties, and desires, are 
greater and more numerous, and demand more attention : he is there- 
fore distinguished by a more marked attention, and enjoys greater 
blessings from Divine Providence, The earth, the air, the clouds, 
and the light of the celestial bodies, contribute more abundantly, and 
in a more diversified manner, to his preservation. God has distribu- 
ted his blessings to all intelligent beings, with impartial love. To 
man's empire he has subjected creatures destitute of reason, that 
their life and labour may serve for his support and convenience. 
What further merits our particular attention is, that all parts of the 
habitable globe furnish a sufficiency of nourishment for the creatures 
which live in them. Admirable effects of the Divine Providence I 

Not only the fertile bosom of the earth, bo;t also the vast expanse 
of air, and the depths of the sea, abound in proper food for the sup- 
port of that innumerable multitude of animals which live and move 
in these elements. The treasures of the Divine goodness are infini- 
nite. The provision which God has made for all his creatures is 
adequate to their necessities, and can never be exhausted. The 
world does not decay. The sun constantly appears again with his 
usual heat and splendour. The fertility of the earth never dimi- 
nishes r the seasons succeed each othe^: in their proper order ; and 



192 APRIL XXV. 



God's care of his creatures. 



the earth never fails to pay her annual tribute of provision for the 
support and preservation of her innumerable inhabitants. 

Whether we consider the constancy, profusion, or variety of the 
means of subsistence,-which nature furnishes in every place, we shall 
perceive every where the traces of a beneficent and universal Pro- 
vidence. All surrounding objects which serve to support and procure 
us the comforts and conveniencies of life, are so many visible means, 
so many canals, through which our invisible Benefactor distributes his 
blessings to us continually. The agents of nature are the ministers 
which accomplish the views of his providence. The world is his 
magazine, and we take out of it all that we need. To that goodness 
which is the essence of the Divine nature, to his paternal care, we 
owe all our blessings. 

Father of beings ! how extensive, how great, how inexpressible 
are thy compassions ! It is in thee that we live, move, and have our 
being; and thou supportest all things by the word of thy power. 
" At thy command the dew falls, and moistens and refreshes^ the thorn 
as well as the cedar. The lot of mortals is in thy hand; and through 
thee alone they can be happy. Thou art the Supreme good, and thy 
fatherly cares extend to all the human race. Thy impartial goodness 
causes the sun to rise upon the wicked, even in the moment that he 
offends thee. It is by thy command that the breeze refreshes us, 
that the rose enbalms the air with its perfume ; that the most deli- 
cious fruits please our palate ; and that the dew of heaven revives us. 
Thou dost proportion thy gifts to the necessities of thy creatures , 
thou causest the righteous to experience the sweet and saving influen- 
ces of thy grace. Thou givest to the bee the nectar of the flowers ; 
to the worm, the drop that quenches his thirst ; and to the world, the 
rays of the sun." 

" O thou, who possessest sovereign felicity, who hast thy happiness 
from thyself, and who disdainest not to communicate happiness to the 
meanest insect which could not exist a moment without thy support ; 
permit me to sing a new song unto thee, and condescend to accept my 
feeble accents. Penetrated with joy and gratitude, I would sing 
praise unto thy name, magnify thy goodness, and render thee that ado- 
ration, praise, and glory, which are thy due." 



APRIL XXVI. 

APRIL FLOWERS. 

The nearer we come to tnat charming month which presents to us 
the country, the meadows, and the gardens m all their beauty; the 
more we see the wild and dreary aspect of nature wear ofl'. Every 
day brings forward some new creation : each day nature approaches 
nearer to her perfection. Already the grass begins to spring up, and 
the sheep seek it with eagerness : the corn begins to appear in the 



APRIL XXVI. 193 



April flowers. 



fields, and the gardens themselves begin to smile. Here and there 
flowers show themselves, and seem to invite us to examine them. 
The sweet-scented and modest violet, is one of the first children of the 
spring : its perfume is the more pleasing, because we have been so 
long deprived of such delicious odours. The beautiful hyacinth rises 
insensibly among the leaves, and exhibits its flowerets, which equally 
delight both the sight and the smell. 

The imperial crown casts around it a multitude of star-like leaves : 
its stem rises very high, and its red and yellow bell-shaped flowers, 
hanging towards the earth, form a sort of crown which is surmounted 
Avith a tuft of flowers. From the midst of its leaves the auricula 
erects its starry flowers, the border of which excels the richness of 
satin and velvet. The elegance of its form, and the sweetness of its 
perfume, make amends for the shortness of its stature. The tulip 
comes out more slowly. It scarcely dares to unfold itself as yet, be- 
cause the night air, and the cold rains, might at once obliterate the 
splendour of its colours. The ranunculus, the pink, and the rose, do 
not blow, till milder days permit them to show themselves in all their 
beauty. 

Here an attentive observer will find many occasions to admire the 
wisdom and goodness of the Creator. It is for very wise purposes 
that at the return of this beautiful season, each plant begins to unfold 
its leaves and flowers precisely in the time and order prescribed ', and 
to make complete preparation for the production of its fruits. 

In the vegetable kingdom one species succeeds another, from the 
beginning till the end of the year. Some have but just showed them- 
selves, v/hen others prepare to appear : and these are followed by 
many hundreds of others which shov/ themselves, each in its turn, at 
the appointed times. While one plant brings its fruit to maturity, na- 
ture excites some other to propagate, that its fruit may be ready 
when the former has accomplished its end. Thus nature ofTers us 
continually a pleasing succession of flowers and fruits ; it leaves no 
void, and from one end of the year to the other, it watches over the 
successive generation of plants. 

But why has not the Creator permitted us to enjoy a greater num- 
ber of plants at once ? The reason is very evident : if all flowers 
and fruits appeared at the same time, would there not be seasons 
absolutely destitute of vegetables ! Should we not then be deprived of 
the pleasure which these pleasing and progressive changes procure 
us ; which prevent that disgust which inevitably arises from same- 
ness ? How many plants must perish, were they exposed to the cold 
nights which are often felt in the commencement of spring ? Would 
so many millions of animals and insects find sufficient nourishment, if 
all plants flourished and bore fruit at the same time ? The beneficent 
Creator proposed to make provision for our support and pleasure : 
but these two designs could not be accomplished, but in causing na- 
ture to produce the vegetables, not at the same time, but successively 
and by degrees. 

^6 



194 APRIL XXVI. 



April flowers. 



The spring flowers, which we at present contemplate and admire, 
should naturally lead us to think of youth, that fine early spring and 
flower of life. ' Amiahle and sprightly youth, consider in these flow- 
ers the emblem of thy destiny. Thou art placed in a fruitful soil, 
thou hast a thousand charms which cause thee to be loved and admir- 
ed. But hast thou not observed how soon the violet, the auricula,dLnd 
the hyacinth fade, when the cruel north wind passes over them ? Ah, 
think of the fate that threatens thee ! Young man, glory not in thy 
form, and venture not to mix. too soon in the sports of thy companions, 
whose strength of body is superior to thine ! Boast not in the flower 
of thy youth. Life is as grass ; thou flourishestlike the flower of the 
field ; but the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place there-' 
of shall know it no more. Psalm, ciii. 16, 



APRIL XXVII. 

RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 

A SMALL number excepted, who pass the winter with us, whole 
tribes of birds have emigrated to other countries. Some seek milder 
climates than ours ; and others find safe retreats, and a sufficiency of 
warmth, in caves, holes of the earth, and other private places. These 
birds return to us by degrees. The gentle mildness of the spring 
awakes the swallows from their torpor. And a secret instinct brings 
back those others, which in the last autumn had undertaken a long 
voyage beyond the seas, to find that subsistence and temperature which 
their constitution required. 

Their return is generally in this order, those which went away 
latest, return first. The air is about to be re-peopled with its winged 
songsters. The nightingale shall soon cause the thickets to resound 
with her melodious notes : the swalloio will return to the nest, which 
was constructed the last summer : and the stork will find again the 
very house which she had left at the beginning of the winter. In a 
few weeks the air will again resound with the singing of birds : and 
their return will bring back joy and gladness into our plains and 
vallies. 

Two things are particularly remarkable in the emigration of birds ; 
first, that they know exactly the time in which they should return. 
The stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle, and 
the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming. ( Jer. viii. 
7.) Undoubtedly, the temperature of the air, relative to heat and 
cold, and the natural inclination which these creatures have to produce 
and bring forth their young, are the strongest motives which lead them 
to change their habitation ; but it is in other views a very singular 
instinct, and in many respects inexplicable. Secondly. It is not less 
astonishing, that these animals, destitute of reason, should know so 
exactly the path they ought to take, and how far they should go. 



APRIL XXVII. 195 



Return of the birds. 



Without compass or provisions, in the most regular order, they un- 
dertake and finish a voyage which is sometimes more than 1000 miles 
long! 

Who is it that has taught them to follow a certain tract in an element 
so inconstant as the air ? Who tells them how much they have al- 
ready travelled, and how much of their journey yet remains ? Who 
is it that guides, nourishes^ and supplies them with every necessary 
during their voyage ? Do not these animals effect what men them- 
selves could not perform ? Were we to undertake such long voyages, 
what experience, what provisions, what directions, and what prepara- 
tions should we require ? Could we, assisted by our reason, by the 
compass, by geographical charts, follow so invariably the road over so 
many seas and mountains, as these birds, do without any assistance ? 

In whatever light we consider this, we cannot but consider a power 
superior to the simple instinct of animals. Yes, Lord, we discover in 
this, thy almighty influence : it is thou who hast impressed on the 
minds of these birds that instinct which they seem blindly to obey. 
Thou appointest to each the country, and even the tree and cottage, 
where he may find his food and habitation. Thou leadest them 
through their distant migrations, and thou hearest their cries when 
they call for nourishment. 

O my God and Father, may I, with the most filial confidence, trust 
my lot and my w^ays to thy direction ! I am a pilgrim upon earth, 
lead me in the way which is pleasing to thee, and may I walk in it 
without murmuring ! Guided by thee, I shall fear no evil; and I trust, 
through thy goodness, to find, with my subsistence, some measure of 
repose and comfort ! Should I be obliged always to lead a wandering 
and restless life here below, do thou comfort me with the hope that 
I shall at last arrive at that place of eternal rest, peace, and happi- 
ness, whence no evil can ever banish me ! 



APRIL XXVIII. 

THE UTILITY OF FORESTS. 

During the winter which is just past, many have sensibly experi- 
enced the great utility of forests in furnishing fuel to preserve them 
from the intense cold. But it would be a mistake to suppose that is 
their only, or even their principal use. For if God in creating them 
had proposed no other end than this, why should he have created 
such immense forests, which form an uninterrupted chain through 
whole provinces and kingdoms, the smallest part of which is employ- 
ed for fuel? It is manifest then, that the Creator, in forming those 
vast forests, intended to procure other advantages to men. 

May not the pleasure we feel at the sight of woods be one end for 
which they have been created? They are one of the greatest beau- 
ties of nature ; and it is always an imperfection in a country to be 



196 APRIL XXVIII. 



utility of forests. 



without woods and thickets. Our impatience when the leaves in 
spring are long in appearing, and the pleasure we feel when they do 
appear, make us sensible how much they adorn and embellish na- 
ture. In reflecting on the utility of woods, we should not forget the 
fruits which numerous families of trees produce. It is true, there 
are some trees whose fruit does not appear to be of any direct use to 
man : but supposing even that there are many fruits which can be of 
no possible advantage to us ; yet the trees which bear them are al- 
ways useful, were it only for their beauty, their shade, and the tim- 
ber they produce. 

Besides, if we reflect properly, we shall acknowledge that those 
trees which we style barren^ are nevertheless of great use to us. 
Their fruits nourish an infinity of insects which become food for 
those birds which are destined to afford us the most exquisite dainties. 
The acorns of all the different species of oak, the nuts of the beech, 
and various matters of this sort, are the favourite aliment of swine 
and wild boars ! And have we not lately found that these fruits, when 
properly prepared, may even become food for man ? Besides, they 
serve to provide seed to perpetuate the forests. How many sorts of 
animals are there, to whom Providence has allotted the woods both 
for their nourishment and habitation ; and who must perish, were 
there no forests ? Of how many conveniencies, utensils, household 
goods, and medicines, should we be deprived, had we not the wood, 
bark, and roots of trees ! How dull and dismal would the face of the 
earth appear, were it not for the charming diversity of fields and 
woods ; of plains and forests ! 

It is because forests are of such great utility to men, that nature 
herself has taken care to perpetuate them. If their generation and 
propagation had been left to the industry and vigilance of men, they 
would have been extinct long ago. But the Creator has preserved 
the trees of the forest : he alone has planted, and he alone supports 
them. It is he who disperses their little seeds over an extensive 
country. It is he who has given wings to numerous seeds that they 
may be the more easily carried about by the winds, and scattered 
over a great number of places. He alone, from these seeds, has 
caused those vast bodies to shoot up so majestically in the air, and 
which raise their lofty heads to the clouds. He alone has established 
them by their strong and widel}?" spread roots, so that for many ages 
they brave the insults of the winds. It is he who brings the rain and 
the dew out of his treasures, sufficient to clothe them annually with 
new verdure, and to maintain a kind of immortality among them. 

Compassionate Father ! thy goodness extends over all the earth. 
There is no country, however remote or wild, where the footsteps of 
thy wise and beneficent empire are not seen. Every where, in fields, 
in forests, In the parched deserts, in the flowery plains, thou hast 
erected monuments of thy goodness, because thou art the God of love 
and grace. Now that beautiful season comes, in which we may walk 
under the shade of the lofty oaks ; then, penetrated with gratitude and 



APRIL XXVIIL 197 



Utility of forests. 



joy, we may lift up our hearts unto thee, and sing praises to thy 
name. Then shall we magnify thee, not only for thy blessings in 
general, but also for the forests which thou hast caused to spring up 
for the good of thy creatures. 



APRIL XXIX. 

PLEASURES WHICH THE CONTEMPLATION OF NATURE AFFORDS. 

Nature offers to all her children, with maternal kindness, the 
chief, the most innocent, the least expensive, and the most universal 
of all pleasures. It is that which our first parents enjoyed in the gar- 
den of paradise : and it was only the depravation of men that led 
them to seek for other recreations. Men are accustomed to despise 
the blessings which they constantly enjoy, how excellent soever they 
may be ; and they think of nothing but multiplying and diversifying 
their amusements. But the pleasure I speak of, is preferable to all 
others. It is almost impossible not to find charms in the contempla- 
tion of nature. And that it may be enjoyed without expense, is ma- 
nifest : the poor, as well as the rich, may possess this pleasure. Yet, 
this is the very thing that lessens its value. We are foolish enough 
to disregard that in which others have an equal share ; whilst, if we 
were reasonable, nothing should enhance the value of a blessing more 
than the thought that it constitutes the happiness of our fellow-crea- 
tures, as well as our own. 

When compared with this noble and affecting pleasure, how frivo- 
lous and deceitful are those far-fetched amusements which the rich 
procure with so much trouble and expense-? They leave a certain 
vacuum in the soul, and always end in vexation and disgust. On the 
contrary, rich and beneficent nature continually presents new objects 
to our eyes. All the pleasures which are the work of our imagina- 
tion, are of short duration ; they are as transitory as a beautiful 
dream, the charms and illusions of which vanish as soon as we awake. 
But the pleasures of reason and of the heart, those which we taste in 
contemplating the works of God, are solid and durable. The heavens 
adorned with stars, the earth enamelled with flowers, the melodious 
singing of birds, the different landscapes, and a thousand prospects, 
each more delightful than another, continually furnish us with new 
subjects of satisfaction and delight. If we are insensible to these, it 
is certainly our own fault : it is because we view the works of nature 
with an inattentive and indifferent eye. The grand science of a Chris- 
tian consists in deriving good from every thing, in having the art to 
render himself happy in all circumstances, and to enjoy innocently 
whatever surrounds him, without injuring his virtue. 

Beneficent Creator ! thou rememberest us in this beautiful season, 
and thou providest for us an abundance of the most solid pleasures. 
Thou openest a thousand sources of delight, and joy and gladness 



198 APRIL XXIX. 



Pleasures which the contemplation of nature aflfords. 

penetrate our hearts from every quarter. If we wish to elevate 
our hearts to thee, to indulge holy meditations, to feel celestial plea- 
sures, all nature furnishes the opportunity. O may we ever prefer 
this noble satisfaction to all the pleasures of sense ! In those days of 
spring, may the sight and enjoyment of delightful nature, affect us 
more than those seducing pleasures which flatter the senses, but which 
interest not the mind ! Lord teach us to acknowledge and feel thy 
power and goodness ! For it is only in studying to find thee in all thy 
works, that we open to ourselves a pure and unfailing source of de- 
lights ; and that we may enjoy, here below, a foretaste of that abun- 
dance which we shall experience in thy presence for ever and ever ! 



APRIL XXX. 

THE BRUTE CREATION SHOULD LEAD MEN TO GLORIFY GOD. 

It is not sufficient to treat animals so as not to abuse them : we 
should make the best possible use of them : and how can we do this 
better than by making them subjects to glorify God ? All creatures 
may lead to this ; but especially those which are animated: on every 
plant, tree, flower, and stone, the magnificence and glory of the Crea- 
tor are visibly impressed ; and we have only to open our eyes to see 
this; but in the animal kingdom, this is more particularly manifest. 
Examine the structure of one living creature : what art, what beauty, 
what a series of wonders, do we discover in it ! And how are these 
wonders multiplied when we reflect on the almost infinite number, 
and astonishing variety of animals ! 

From the elephant to the smallest mite, which can only be disco- 
vered by the assistance of the microscope, what gradations, what 
links, forming one immense uninterrupted chain ! What connexions, 
order, and relations, do we see among all creatures ! All is harmony ; 
and if at first sight we suppose we have discovered any imperfection in 
certain things ; on proper examination, we shall find that it was our 
ignorance only that caused us to form a false judgment. It is not 
necessary that every individual should make deep researches into the 
nature of animals : it is not necessary that every person should be- 
come a profound naturalist : it is sufficient to pay attention to what is 
most common, and best known, in order to be convinced of the 
above. 

We see for instance, a multitude of animals which are formed in 
an admirable manner ; and who all live, feel, and move as we do : 
who, like us, are subject to hunger, thirst, and cold : and who, con- 
sequently, like us, stand in daily need of having these wants sup- 
plied. 

To all these creatures God has given life ; he preserves them, pro- 
vides for all their necessities : he cares for them as the father of a 
family cares for all the members of his household. May we not con- 



APRIL XXX. 199 



The brute creation should lead men to glorify God. 



elude from this, that God has the goodness and tenderness of a Fa- 
ther? May we not further conclude from this, that we should love 
this God, who is love itself! If the Creator extends his bounty to 
these animals, what will he not do for us ? If it be his study to ren- 
der the life of irrational creatures sweet and pleasant, what may we 
not expect from his beneficence ? Let the feeble-minded and distrust- 
ful man blush at his anxieties, who, as soon as he is deprived of afflu- 
ence, falls into despondency, fearing that God will permit him to pe- 
rish for want. That beneficent Being, who provides for the necessi- 
ties of so many irrational animals, will take care to provide for man 
whatever is necessary. 

Let us reflect also on the instinct of beasts ; and take occasion from 
this to glorify that Supreme Being who has, w^ith so much wisdom, 
combined the end with the means. As these instincts in animals re- 
late all to their preservation, they are more particularly manifest in 
the love and tender solicitude which they feel for their young. To 
point out the most tender and paternal care, our Lord himself makes 
use of the image of a hen gathering her young under her wings. It 
is indeed a very affecting sight to see tliat strong and natural affection 
which a hen bears to her young ones, and the constant care she takes 
of them. She never turns away her eyes from them : she flies to 
their succour at the least appearance of danger : she courageously 
opposes every aggressor, she risks her own life to save that of her 
young. She calls and comforts them with her maternal voice, she 
extends her wings to receive and cover them : she neglects all sorts 
of convenience to herself, and sitting in the most painful posture, she 
thinks of nothing but the safety and well being of the objects of her 
love. 

Who can help here discovering the finger of the ]\Iost High ! With- 
out this maternal solicitude, without this instinct, so powerful, and so 
superior to every thing, the hen herself, the chicks, and the whole 
race, must infallibly perish. Can it be said that what the hen does 
for her young, she does it with understanding and reflection : that she 
judges, reasons, foresees, combines, and makes inferences ! This is 
much to be doubted ; and though at first sight it seems that all this 
proceeds from the maternal tenderness and understanding of this bird, 
yet we must acknowledge there is a superior hand, which makes itself 
manifest, teaching us how it acts. 

These two examples I believe sufiicient for the proposed end : and 
without extending the subject further, I will conclude in a few words : 
It is the duty of man to seek in the brute creation an occasion to glo- 
rify God ; an indispensable duty which we should hold sacred, and 
which will ever prove both instructive and delightful. 



200 APRIL XXX.=H= 



Hymn of praise for the works of creation. 



APRIL XXX.^ 

A HYMN OF PRAISE FOR THE WORKS OF CREATION. 

Let us adore our great Creator, and sing praises to Him. — Homage, 
honour, strength, dominion, and glory, be rendered unto the Supreme 
Being ! Let us adore him, he has created us ; let us be joyful in him : 
let us give him eternal praises, for by him alone we exist. Hallelu- 
jah ! He has created the world, and he sustains it. Let all creatures 
adore him ! O world ! sing to, and proclaim thy Author. 

Eternal silence is ended ! — The Deity has interrupted it to make 
and pour upon man that blessedness of which he is the source. Be I 
said the Almighty, and, at his command, heaven and earth sprang out 
of nothing. — Jehovah is no longer alone: — already the cherubim, the 
first-born of his power, cause the heavens to resound with songs of 
praise. Hallelujah ! — But the light which is to illuminate the world 
does not yet appear. He speaks, Let there he lights — the light darts 
forth. 

He forms a solid arch out of the waters, and suspends the sea un- 
der it. — But as yet, the waters cover the mountains : He thunders — 
the winds blow — the waters disperse : He directs their course, and 
the earth is now separated from the veil which before covered it. 
The earth ! His domain, the theatre of his glory : and at last to be 
the empire of his Son. 

He speaks, and the fields, the hills the vallies, the mountains, and 
the forests, flourish ; they become fruitful at his powerful word. The 
sun from the exalted place of his abode, rules over the days and 
years ; while the peaceable and silent empire of the moon and stars, 
is extended over the night. He speaks, and the sea, is peopled with 
living creatures. Hallelujah ! The air also is stocked with birds, 
whose harmonious notes celebrate that God who has called them into 
being. 

O man, ask universal nature, ask the wild beasts, who, free from 
the yoke, sport in the forests ; ask them from whom they have derived 
their existence, their liberty, and their happiness. Ask the deserts 
who it is that has given them the lion, the terror of animals, to be 
their king? — ^It is God : God, great in counsels, and terrible in work- 
ing I — The swift courser, the tender lamby the docile ox, all come 
from Thee ; and all exclaim, The Lord he is God ! The Lord he is 
God, and there is none else. 

Repeat year adorations : — redouble your hallelujahs : — sing, and 
let your notes become more sublime ! — He says, " Let us make man. 
Let us make him in our own image." — Adam exists ! Adam astonish- 
ed sings, He is my creator. — God ! — Jehovah ! — Sabbaoth ! — Hallelu- 
jah ! The Lord he is God, and there is none other. 

Let us eternally celebrate this Being of beings ! Glory, honour, 
praises, thanksgiving, to Him who has created us ! to Him who has made 
us immortal ! O God, in whom we live, move, and have our being, we 



APRIL XXX. 20! 



Hymn of praise for the works of creation. 



rise towards Thee with songs of joy. Hallelujah ! He has created 
the world, and he sustains it. Sing, O world, sing to, and proclaim 
thy Author. 



THE SAME IN VERSE. 

O COME, the great Creator's Name, 

In lofty lays adore ! 
Dommion, honour, glory, fame, 

Be his for evermore ! 
Being Supreme ! Let us applaud, 
In tuneful songs, the living God, 

In whom we live, and move, and are; 
The world he made, his hand sustains : 
The mighty theme, in choral sU-ahis, 

Let every being share. 
Wide as thy realms, O beauteous world, expand, 
Announce his mighty Name, proclaim his forming hand ! 

No more eternal silence reigns : 

With eloquence Divine, 
The voice of Deity maintains 

The dignified design. 
Blest Fount ! himself to pour on man ; 
" Be !" said the Pow'r ; at once began 

Th' unavailing heav'ns, the earth, to be^ 
No more Jehovah dwells alone. 
But new-born cherubs fill his throne 

With hymning harmony : 
Not yet does light on infant nature gleam; — 
"Let there be light !" he said : forth darts the lucid 



From out the watery waste he bends 

A solid arch on high ; 
And on his word the sea suspends, 

Beneath the concave sky. 
Yet flow the waves the mountains o'er — 
But hark ! his pealing thunders roar ! 

Wild through the deep his tempests blow i 
Her ambient liquid vail withdrawn, 
Earth lifts her oozy head ; while on 

Meand'ring rivers flow. 
His glory's ample theatre appears. 
Fair empire of his Son, in late succeeding ye&rs ! 

He spealcs ! the plains, the mountains green, 

The God's behest obey ; 
The fragrant vales, the groves serene, 

The genial boon display. 

26 



^02 APRIL XXX. 



Hymn of praise for the works of creation. 



O'er the bright day, and circling year, 
The sun in his exalted sphere, 

While o'er the silent nightly hour, 
The silver moon her sway maintains ; 
Again he speaks ! The liquid plains 
Then- finny nations pour ; 
While birds melodious in mid-air prolong, 
Responsive to his praise, the tributary song. 

Go, eisk all nature ; ask, O man, 

The wand'rers of the wood, 
With whom their being — bliss, began 1 

Who gives the sylvan food ? 
Free firom the yoke, who bids them rove, 
Their wide domain, the pathless grove ? 

Who founds the lordly lion's throne"? 
" 'Tis God, 'tis God, in counsels wise ! 
" 'Tis God ! 'tis God !" all being cries, 

" Jehovah ! He alone !" 
The docile ox, swift courser, humble lamb, 
Jehovah is our God! all, all, aloud proclaim. 

Your adorations re-repeat. 

Your hallelujahs raise, 
Sing more sublimely, sing more sweet, 

Advance your loftiest lays. 
'Tis now the high transcendant hour ; 
"Let xis make man !" th' Omnific Powbb, 

The FORMING Deity has said, 
"In our own image, fair and good, 
" The being form with mind endued, 

"To rule the works our hands have made!" 
Adam exists! his wond'ring powers applaud! 
"Hail, Jah Jehovah; Io Jah Sabaoth, God!'» 

O let us this primitial Cause, 

Eternally adore! 
Dominion, blessing, might, applause, 

Be His for evermore! 
Whose power, whose goodness, made ua Man, 
The life immortal who began. 

And poui'd it in the human breast 
To Thee, in whom we live and move 
On hymns of joy, on hymns of love, 

We rise in Thee to rest. 
The world he made, Jehovah's hand sustains I 
O world ! thy Maker sing, long as the world remains! 



T. R. 



MAY I. 203 



A hymn on the beauties of Spring. 



MAY 



MAY I, 

A HYMN ON THE BEAUTIES OF SPRING. 

Blessed children of God, open your hearts of joy ! Behold the 
gay attire, and the rich gifts of spring. Contemplate the beautiful 
enamel which colours the fields and the meads ; their fruits shall 
shortly bring us both abundance and joy. 

That tree which a little time ago seemed deprived both of sap and 
life, is now covered with blossoms, and promises an abundant harvest. 
How beautiful is nature I How graceful are her ornaments I Men and 
animals, meadows, w^oods, and fields, all revive, all feel themselves 
inspired with new life. 

The lark mounts aloft in the air ; the pigeon leaves her retreat to 
fly over the flowery plain ; the nightingale causes her melodious and 
plaintive sounds to be heard ; her tender accents are heard over all 
the fields ; they fill the hills, the vallies, and the woods. 

Here the fruitful hen guides, protects, and covers with her wings, 
the feeble new-born flock which nature has entrusted to her care. 
The swallow has left her nest ; but her tenderness recalls her : quickly 
she flies back, and carries to her young ones the desired nourish- 
ment. 

The corn grows in abundance ; the joyful labourer and his children 
calculate the blessings which futurity prepares for them. Man plants ; 
but who waters ? It is thou, Father of nature, who sendest down 
the rays of the sun, and the fertilizing rain. 

The heat of the sun gives vigour to the juices of the earth, and 
causes the refreshing liquor to proceed from the feeble vine. Thus, 
he who appears abject in the eyes of men, when animated with celes- 
tial might, often becomes an honour to humanity, and a herald of the 
glory of God. 

Almighty and Omniscient Being ! How does thy goodness manifest 
itself to^is in this life ! "What then are the pleasures, what the feli- 
city, which thou hast reserved in thy eternal abode for the. souLs 
which repose their confidence in thee ! 



MAY 1.=^ 

THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD. 

The sun, of all the parts of this system, is that which most interests 
us. His form is spherical, and he is composed of an igneous matter, 
which never consumes itself. By the telescope we discover, in cer- 



204 MAY I * 



The system of the world. 



tain places, spots of different magnitudes, which prove that he has a 
revolution round his own axis. His distance from the earth is 95 mil- 
lion, 173 thousand miles ! He is at least a million of times larger than 
our earth, the diameter of which is nearly eight thousand miles. He 
communicates his light and heat to at least twenty opaque globes, 
which revolve around him at different distances ; and which are 
termed planets. The nearest to him is the planet Mercury ^ who is 
buried in his rays ; and on this account it is that he is less known 
than the rest of the planets. A little farther off is Venus, who is cal- 
led Lucifer, or the morning Star, and Hesperus, or the evening star ; 
because sometimes she precedes the sun, and sometimes follows, and 
sets after him. After Venus comes our globe, the external surface of 
which is composed of earth and water, mountains and vallies : the in- 
ternal parts consists of beds, or strata of different substances. 

The earth is the abode of a multitude of creatures, both animate 
and inanimate. As also of metals, minerals, and plants. The moon 
revolves in a particular orbit round the earth, and accompanies it 
through the whole of its revolution round the sun. She is diho\i\. ffty 
times less than the earth : on her face we easily distinguish lucid and 
brilliant spots ; and others which are obscure and gloomy. The first 
appear to be continents, and the other seas or deep vallies. If the 
moon were only composed of one matter ; if she were a body en- 
tirely solid, or entirely fluid, she would equally reflect, from every 
part, the rays she receives from the sun ; and we should not see the 
spots which we now discover in her. A fluid body, such as water, 
absorbs a great number of rays, and reflects but a few. It, is there- 
fore, apparent, that the obscure parts of the moon are seas which 
absorb the rays of light, or very deep vallies, into which the rays are 
prevented from falling, by her mountains ; and the luminous parts, 
land. Among these lucid spots, there are some found more brilliant 
than others ; and which even cast a shadow. It is therefore evident, 
that they are higher than the others; and thus they resemble the 
mountains of our earth. Some of these mountains appear uncon- 
nected, and others are contiguous, and form long ridges. In the lu- 
nar seas, we discover parts not so obscure as others ; and which con- 
sequently appear to have a conformity to our isles. 

The four last planets of our system, are Mars, Jupiter, with his four 
moons, or satellites ; Saturn, with his seven ; and the planet Herschel, 
or Georgium Sidus, with his six moons. ^ Spots are observed on 

* Two new celestial bodies which most astronomers have agreed to name planets, have 
been discovered in the commencent of this century. The first of these called Ceres, was 
discovered on the 1st of January, 1801, by Mr. Piazzi, astronomer, at Palermo, in Sicily. 
It a a very small globe of about 200 miles in diameter, appearing through a telescope as a 
star of the 8th magnitude ; and moves in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter. Other 
elements of this planet are the following : 

Place of the ascending node 2^ 20° 58' 

Inclination of its orbit 10 47 

Place of Aphelion 2 9 

Eccentricity of orbit 0,0364. 



MAY I. 205 



The system of the world. 



some of these. Saturn is at such a distance from the sun, that it takes 
him nearly thirty years to finish his revolution. This vast dominion 
of the sun, v^hich taking in Satur^i only, extends to more than 900 
million of miles, is but a part of the universe. But the planet Her- 
schel being at twice the distance of Saturn from the sun, has doubled 
the bounds formerly assigned to the solar system. Each of the fixed 
stars (the number of which appears to be greater than the sands on 
the shore) is a sun, which, if it surpass not ours, is at least equal to him 
in magnitude and brightness, and whose dominion may probably extend 
further than that of the sun. 

Behold the magnificence of the works of God ; for thus the hea- 
vens declare his glory. With what glory does the majesty of the 
Creator blaze in these marvellous works, which invite us, in the most 
earnest manner, to pay our tribute of admiration, reverence, and 
praise to the Being who has formed them ! Is there any thing in na- 
ture more proper to inspire us with exalted ideas of the Deity than 
the aspect of the celestial vault ? Let us never lift our eyes toward, 
heaven, without feeling the most lively sense of the magnificence and 
grandeur of Him who has given being to all things ; and who pre- 
serves them with an incomprehensible wisdom, power, and goodness! 
What are we, weak and miserable mortals, who creep as insects on a 
grain of sand, and are lost in the immensity of creation ! What are 
we., in comparison of those innumerable systems, which comprehend 
so many vast globes ! especially, what are we, in comparison of the 
Creator of all those worlds, of all those suns, of all those heavens, 
which we cannot attempt to comprehend or enumerate, without feel- 
ing trouble and confusion of mind ! Nevertheless, this Sovereign of 
the world condescends to prefer us, he deigns to honour us with his 
notice, and with his paternal care ! What a glory, what a ravishing 
hope opens before us ! What motives to the most lively gratitude I 
Let us prostrate ourselves at the footstool of the Most High, and adore 
Him in the firmament of his power. 



MAY II. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE BLOSSOMS OF TREES. 

Now our gardens and fields are decorated with the ornaments of 
.spring; all Europe appears in the same pomp, and presents every 

Greater Semiaxis 23 times that of the earth's distance. 

Periodic time 4. 13 years. 

The second was discovered March 28th, 1602, by Dr. Olbert, of Bremen, who has nam- 
ed it Pallas. It is a very small globe of about 140 miles diameter; revolves between 
Mars and Ceres, at a distance of about two and a half the Earth's distance, and performs 
its revolution in about three years. 

I have not introduced these two erratics into the above account of the solar system, not 
being fully satisfied that they belong to the class of planets properly so called. 

A. C. 



206 MAY II. 



Reflections on the blossoms of trees. 



where the most smiling aspect. By the virtue of that first word which 
the Creator pronounced in forming the world, all these magnificent 
effects have been produced. One hand only, that of the Creator and 
Monarch of the world, in a few days, has renovated the earth ; and, so 
to speak, has created it anew for the advantage and pleasure of his in- 
telligent creatures. It is God, who calls forth the spring; it is he 
alone who orders it to appear, because he is the Lord who has form- 
ed it. Approach man ! come and try what thy wisdom and power 
can execute ! Art thou able to make one tree blossom ? To pro- 
duce a single leaf? To call from the earth the smallest spire of 
grass ? To order one tulip to appear in all its splendour ? 

Approach, ye learned artists, ye eminent painters, contemplate these 
flowers, examine these masterpieces with the most scrupulous atten- 
tion. Is there any thing wanting to make them more perfect ? Can 
you find any fault in the blending of the colours ? Any in their forms, 
or their proportions ? Can your pencil express the dazzling red of 
the peachhlossom ? Can you imitate the the pure enamel, the unifor- 
mity and simplicity of dress, of a cherry-tree in blosom ? What do I 
say, imitate ? — Are you only able to conceive all the magnificence of 
renovated nature? Or to form a just idea of its inimitable art? 
If there were not on the earth proofs still more convincing of the 
power and wisdom of God, the flowers of spring would alone suffice 
to render them indubitable. Surely the Lord manifests himself in 
every part of the creation. Every where, and in every thing, his 
power is manifested in the most sensible manner. Every tree that 
blossoms, every herb, every flow^er, proclaims that his goodness and 
wisdom are extended over the whole earth. 

We observe an infinite diversity among the blossoms of trees : all 
are beautiful, but their beauties are different. One surpasses ano- 
ther, but there is not one which is not valuable because of some beau- 
ty peculiar to itself. How magnificent soever the Creator may be an 
the distribution of his gifts, he always takes the liberty to distribute 
to some more, to others less : but this difference only takes place in 
respect to accessory qualities. For instance, one tree has blossoms 
of a dazzling white; those of another have red streaks, and shades 
blended with that white. Others render the beauty of their form and 
colours more valuable, by the exquisite perfumes which they exhale. 
But all these varieties so multiplied are only accidental, and do not at 
all affect their fecundity. 

Thus, while the Lord denies us the same advantages which render 
some of our brethren conspicuous, we should neither be discouraged 
nor afflicted. The loss of some accidental beauties, of what nature 
soever they may be, can in no respect injure our genuine well-being. 
If we are noi; as rich, as reputable, or as well formed, as others ; we majr, 
nevertheless, be as happy, as holy, as pleasing to God, and as useful to 
men. Provided we bear the fruits of piety and righteousness, we pos- 
sess true beauty. Why do the blossoms of trees please us more than 
the rich colours of a tulip, d^nauriculay or 2.ranunculu$l It is because 



MAY II. 207 



Reflections on the blossoms of trees. 



the pleasure we receive from viewing the latter is very short, 
whereas we expect from the others delicious fruit. Let us not, there- 
fore, confine our wishes to the splendour and exterior charms of a 
beautiful flower. Beauty, comeliness, the tints of health, and other 
external advantages of this nature, are not what can procure us solid 
and permanent profit. The blossoms, which promise pleasing fruits 
both to God and man : these, and these only, truly merit our esteem, 
and these are they which shall never fade. 

It is a melancholy thing, without doubt, to consider that all these 
dazzling beauties, which we admire in the blossoms of trees, shall dis- 
appear in a few days. And such shall speedily befal all those bloom- 
ing youths, who are now so vain of their charms. Let this thought 
always accompany us, in the solitary walks which we take in our gar- 
dens, and hereafter let our principal study be, that when the beauty 
and charms of our bodies shall have vanished away, they shall appear 
to be replaced with the abundant fruits of virtue and piety. 

A tree which has borne beautiful blossoms, and which neverthe- 
less is found destitute of fruit when the summer is come : and only 
hinders, by its shade, the growth of the plants around it ; is looked 
upon with indifference, or even with contempt, by those who delight 
in gardens. It is not less melancholy to see a person, who, in his 
youth, was adorned with all the charms of person, and the gifts of for- 
tune, at present, in the summer or autumn of his life, not only bear- 
ing no fruit, but becoming a hinderance to the fruitfulness of others. 
Should we be permitted to arrive at that period, when God and so- 
ciety have a right to expect much fruit ; may we be found as fruitful as 
we have sometimes seen a peach-tree ; every blossom of which has 
been succeeded by a fruit ! Then shall we have the praise of our 
fellow-creatures; and what is of infinitely greater importance, the 
approbation of the Mo&t High. 



MAY III. 

THE CONTINUAL REVOLUTIONS AND CHANGES WHICH TAKE PLACE IN THE 

EARTH. 

Motion and change seem absolutely necessary for the preserva- 
tion of the corporeal world. There is not the smallest particle of 
matter in the universe, that can be considered as in a state of perfect 
and continual rest. Nothing can be more easily demonstrated than 
this, if we pay the slightest attention to what passes on the globe on 
which we dwell. 

The earth turns round its axis in twenty-four hours, and by this 
rotation all the points of its surface, except the poles, change their 
situation with more or less rapidity. Under the equator, where this 
motion is performed with great celerity, each body passes through 
more than one thousand miles in an hour, though it does not change 



208 MAY III. 



Continual revolutions and changes in the earth. 



its place on the surface. But besides this, the earth makes her an- 
nual revolution round the sun with so much velocity, that according 
to the most moderate calculation, it goes through 1136 miles every 
minute, or 68,160 in an hour, although this motion is not perceiva- 
ble. Motion relative to earthly bodies is more observable : small 
streams in uniting together form greater, those produce others in 
their turn, and thus torrents, rivers, and floods are formed, which are 
afterward lost in the sea. This is not all : in every place plants and 
animals have need of water for their nourishment. Water is raised 
m vapours, these form clouds, which fall down in rain, snow, and 
fogs ; these form rivers, which go again into the sea. Tides, storms, 
torrents, &;c. keep the water in continual motion. 

The atmosphere also is in perpetual motion. An east wind blows 
continually between the tropics : and though in other places, at par- 
ticular times, no agitation can be perceived, yet the barometer and 
thermometer prove that the air is never perfectly calm : and the fre- 
quency of different kinds of meteors sufficiently proves nature is 
never at rest. The crust, or surface of the earth, is also subject to 
frequent revolutions. The hardest rocks cleave, stones break, and 
wear away by little and little. Some lands sink down ; others are 
inundated ; other raised ; and others overwhelmed by earthquakes. 
Little hills are borne away by the waters, vallies are filled up : mar- 
shes dry up and are covered with trees : the bottom of the sea be- 
comes firm ground, and many such alterations take place. Light and 
darkness, cold and heat, drought and wet, succeed each other by 
turns. Finally, continual variations of heat cause frequent changes in 
diflferent parts of bodies, though often imperceptible. 

If we add to this the motion that is observed in animals, we may 
get some idea of the continual revolutions to which all things below 
are subject. Man himself is supposed to lose two ounces and a half 
daily by perspiration. This is replaced by other matter, so that at 
the end of a few years man is clothed with a new body All animals 
and plants are nourished, grow up, propagate, and turn to corruption. 

Thus, all is in motion on our earth, every thing grows and perishes 
alternately. In a word, to be bor7i and die, is the sum of all that 
passes on the theatre of the world. 

But this does not happen by chance or accident, as might be sup- 
posed at first view ; all takes place by order and design : all is regu- 
lated according to certain laws, which tend to certain ends. Every 
thing combines, every thing concurs, in the most perfect manner, to 
the glory of the Creator : every thing contributes to, and all termi- 
nates in, the good of the universe. 

Finally, these continual revolutions are salutary warnings to us ; 
they teach us that this present world cannot be the place for which 
we were destined. When we consider the continual vicissitudes which 
all things on earth undergo, is it not the most pathetic lesson on the 
vanity of terrestrial things, on the frailty and shortness of life ; on the 
necessity of a better and permanent state in the v/orld to come ? Yes 



MAY III. 209 



Continual revolutions and changes in the eartli. 



every thing conducts us to our true end : every thing proclaims to uS) 
that we are strangers and pilgrims upon this earth. With what con- 
solation may our souls be penetrated, when, in the midst of these world- 
ly revolutions, we lift up our eyes to thee, O Lord ! to thee, who art 
the immutable and eternal Being. Let the mountains be shaken and 
change place ; let the sea be tossed about and make a noise ; let all 
earthly bodies return to their original dust ; still thou art, and wilt be 
invariably the same. Evermore thou shalt be my refuge, and thy 
grace shall be my consolation to eternity ! Probably I have but a short 
time to be a spectator of these revolutions. Should I be speedily re- 
moved, may I arrive in that happy place, where there shall be no vi- 
cissitudes of day and night, nor any variation of times and seasons ! 
There, in perfect and uninterrupted felicity, may I enjoy the light of 
thy countenance, and contemplate thy glories for evermore. 



MAY IV. 

AN INVITATION TO SEEK GOD IN THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

Awake, O my soul, and arise from that profound sleep in which 
thou hast been so long immersed ; and regard, with attention, the ob- 
jects which surround thee. Contemplate both thyself, and the other 
creatures : consider their origin, structure^ form, utility, and a thou- 
sand circumstances, which should fill every attentive observer of the 
works of God with admiration. When thou lookest on heaven, its 
vivid and varied colours, the stars which disperse over it such a pro- 
fusion of brilliancy, the light which discovers to thee surrounding ob- 
jects, ask thyself, Whence do all these objects proceed ? Who has 
enamelled this immense arch of the heavens ? Who has placed in 
the firmament these innumerable fires, these stars, which, though at 
a prodigious distance, nevertheless dart their light do^^Ti to us ? Who 
has ordered these planets to move with so much regularity ; and this 
sun to enlighten and fertilize the earth ? Is it not thou, O my adora- 
ble Creator ? — Yes, it is thy wise and powerful word, which has 
caused all these things out of nothing, and ordained them to continue 
in existence ! How great must thy power be, thy incomprehensible 
grandeur, O Lord my God, which has drawn these things out of the 
womb of nothing ; and how infinite must thy bounty be, which has 
arranged the whole in such a manner as to cause them to contribute 
to my felicity. 

Lofty mountains ! what powerful hand has established your founda- 
tions ? Who has adorned your sides with forests, fruit-bearing trees, 
plants, and flowers ? Who has covered your summits with snow and 
ice ? Who has drawn from your bowels those rivers and fountains 
which moisten and fertilize the earth ? It is thy hand, my Almighty 
Creator, which has wrought all these wonders ; and that divine hand I 
adore with sentiments of admiration, gratitude, and love. 

27 



210 MAY IV. 



Invitation to seek Goa in the works of nature. 



Flowers of the field! who has given you your magnificent dress? 
How is it that you could be produced out of a small portion of earth, 
and a few drops of Avater ? Whence these different odours which em- 
balm the air, and delight us ? Those vivid tints with which our eyes 
are so pleased, and which the art of man cannot imitate ? It is thy 
work, O my Creator : every thing on the surface of the earth pro- 
ceeds from thee ! 

, And you, O ye animated creatures, which people the air, the earth, 
and the waters ! to whom do ye owe your existence, your structure, 
and that marvellous diversity of instincts which astonish our reason, 
and which are so appropriate to your different modes of life ? — 

But, what a multitude of miracles do I perceive, when I contem- 
plate myself ! How is it ^hat a handful of dust could become such an 
organized body ? How is it that one of these parts should see ? that 
a secondj through the medium of the undulations of the air, should 
be able to know the thoughts of an other ; and that a third should taste 
the different savours of aliments ? How is it that I should have the 
power to communicate to the creatures which resemble me the ideas 
and volitions of my own spirit ? How is it that a little earth, ground 
by my teeth, should produce so many agreeable sensations to my soul ? 
I acknowledge the hand of my Creator in all these incomprehensible 
miracles. Yes, my Lord, thy wisdom, power, and goodness, labour in 
concert to render me happy. 

Infinite Being! my most highly prized duty shall be to seek and 
acknowledge thee in all thy works. Is there a thing in the heavens, 
or upon the earth, that does not lead to thee, or call to my remem- 
brance thy power, thy wisdom, and thy goodness ? The best use I 
can make of these beautiful days of spring is, in the midst of those 
revolutions which are now carrying on in the enrth, to lift my eyes 
to thee, thou parent of nature ; to thee, who in all seasons openest 
thy liberal hand, and satisfiest all creatures with thy bounty. And, as 
often as I recollect thy majesty, and thy beneficence, grant, grrM God, 
that I may praise thy name with transports of gratitude and joy; and 
that I may exalt the miracles of thy wisdom. Henceforth may the 
most pleasing occupation of my life be to declare thy goodness to my 
brethren, and to sing of thy name before all thy people I 



MAY V. 

THE DAWN. 



The daivn discovers to the world a new and magnificent creation. 
The shadows of the night had deprived us of the sight and enjoyment 
of the heavens and the earth ; but that now the light begins to return, 
the eye discovers all nature vivified and embellished. At once we 
discover the earth in its magnificent dress : the mountains crowned 



MAY V. 211 



The dawn. 



with forests ; the hills encircled with vines ; the fields covered with 
crops : and the meadows watered with rivulets. 

The horizon begins to glow ; the clouds every where assume vivid 
and variegated colours : at a distance, the eye discovers smiling and 
flourishing vallies : the light vapours are converted into gold, and the 
drops of the dew, which cover the flowers, assume the pleasing 
brightness of pearls. In proportion as the light increases, the spec- 
tacle becomes more superb. — We proceed from one degree of light 
to another, till nature exhibits to us her noblest object. — The Sun 
rises ! The first ray has escaped over the tops of the mountains ! and 
has run rapidly from one side of the horizon to the other. New rays 
follow and strengthen the former : by degrees the whole disk of the 
sun is disengaged from the horizon : he arises complete, he advances 
in the heavens, and runs through his race with a majesty which the 
human eye cannot sustain. 

Suppose one were in the country, and could see, from the top of a 
hill, this ravishing sight to which he had been before unaccustomed, 
what would he think ? What would he do ? Doubtless, filled with the 
sweet emotions of holy respect, he would prostrate himself, and adore 
that God who causes the dawn to spring forth. " Infinite Being !" 
he would exclaim, " in the brightness of the dawn I acknowledge 
thy power and wisdom. With the lark which mounts into the sky 
to salute the morning, the arrival of which she announces by the 
sweetness of her songs, I spring upwards to thee, O my God, who art 
the Father of creation. The harmony and joy of all nature : the re- 
vivification of all beings, invite me also to elevate my soul to thee, 
with the most lively transports of gratitude and joy. In this moment) 
while the sun is darting his first rays upon the earth, millions of crea- 
tures praise and adore thee. Can I then remain dumb, or be insen- 
sible, while discovering these wonders ! — It is from thee that the beauty 
of the morning proceeds : from thee, who art the source of all light. 
It is thou who hast given it its beautiful colours : and who hast im- 
pressed the perception of them in the essence of our souls. Thou 
hast given me that spirit of a celestial nature, which can discover thee 
in all thy operations. Yes, my eye can see thee in the splendour of 
the morning : — if thou wert not, there could be neither sun, nor dawn 
of day, nor any creation. But I know thou existest from eternity to 
eternity ; and I rejoice that thou art my Father, as thou art the Au- 
thor of the morning." 

But how much are those indolent men to be pitied, who never 
afford themselves the pleasure of contemplating the dawn. O had 
they but resolution enough to give themselves up to the pure and 
delicious joy which this magnificent view of nature is calculated to 
inspire ! O that they could but feel that the aspect of beauteous na- 
ture can fill the heart with holy joy, and with profound veneration for 
the Creator ! O that they would at last understand, that one thought 
excited in the soul at the view of the dawn^ might become the happy 



212 MAY V. 



The dawn. 



commencement of a Christian life, and eternally recompense them for 
a few hours which they had snatched from unnecessary sleep. 

Let us deprive ourselves, sometimes at least, of our morning re- 
pose, to procure ourselves the satisfaction of contemplating*the rising" 
sun. We have lost much pleasure, if we have not yet seen the 
dawn ; or if, at its appearance, we have not been led to adore our 
Creator. 



MAY VI. 

THE WONDERS OF VISION. 

That we might be able to perceive external objects, it is neces- 
sary that a number of rays should proceed from them, and fall upon 
our eyes. These rays, which enter the eye, pass through the cor- 
nea, where they are refracted, and passing on the crystalline humour, 
they are still more so. After having been sufficiently refracted, and 
then reunited in their passage through the vitreous humour^ they paint, 
on the retina, the images of external objects, and define them with 
the utmost clearness and precision. The optic nerve, which termi- 
nates in the retiiia, conveys these sensations to the soul, and excites 
in it perceptions and ideas conformed to the impressions which these 
exterior objects have made upon the brain. 

What we have said concerning vision, shows it to be one of the 
principal wonders of human nature, and that it well deserves to be 
more particularly considered. 

The images of exterior objects are painted in an inverted form upon 
the retina : nevertheless, we see every thing upright, and in its true 
situation. How is it that the greatest objects are delineated in your 
eye in extreme miniature ; and yet we perceive every thing in its 
real size ? How does it happen, that when from the top of a tower 
we perceive many thousands of houses below us, in a large city, that 
each is painted so exactly in our eye, on a surface scarcely three 
times as large as the head of an ordinary pin ? So many millions of 
rays coming through a small aperture, are reunited in the retina which 
covers the bottom of the eye, without the least confusion, though they 
preserve among themselves the same order with the parts of the ob- 
jects from which they proceeded. Again ; let a person from the top 
of a lofty mast view a fleet in the open sea, when all the sails of each 
ship are set; let him view the sea itself: how many thousands of 
waves does he discover ! Now each of these reflect an immensity of 
rays upon the eye, which, notwithstanding its smallness, distinctly re- 
ceives the whole. 

Finally, let a person go to the top of a mountain in a clear day, 
and let him view the country for several miles round. Every tree, 
every blade of grass, sends rays of light to the eyes, without which 



MAY VI. 213 



The "wonders of vision. 



it would be impossible for us to discover that continued green colour 
which we see in every part of the landscape below us. But, is it 
not still more astonishing, that we do not see the objects double ; and 
that, having tivo eyes, each object appears to us single ! 

But here is another subject for admiration. These objects w^hich 
we see are not only visible to us. We have already been astonished 
at the number of rays which they send to such a small space as the 
pupil of the eye. But they send as many to every similar quantum of 
space in the whole surrounding atmosphere ; it is because of this 
that whithersoever we walk, new rays replace the former, and render 
the same object visible which we discovered previous to our changing 
our place. All these rays are already in existence, and only wait to 
be received by our eyes : but all the rays of light are not alike effica- 
cacious : besides those already mentioned, there are others beyond 
calculation, which, being much weaker, are effaced by the splendour 
of the first ; but which are nevertheless ready to perform the functions 
of the former, when necessity requires. If w^e pierce a leaf of paper 
with a pin, and look through the hole, which is much less than the 
pupil of the eye, we, notwithstanding, discover the same objects, 
though they may appear to us much smaller. 

But who properly reflects on this subject? The habit of discerning 
objects as often as we open our eyes, causes us to consider this opera- 
tion as a thing exceedingly simple, and easy to be comprehended. 
Yet we are very far from being able to explain the manner in which 
we see these objects. We know that images are formed on the reti- 
na, and we know also that all the parts of the eye contribute to their 
formation : but this is not sufficient ; for the eye can have no concep- 
tion of what passes in itself : it is necessary therefore, that the im- 
pressions w^hich these rays make upon the eye should be propagated 
to the brain; and for this purpose, the rays of light paint the image 
of the objects upon the retina, which is a tissue of nerves which have 
their origin in the brain : but we cannot possibly describe what passes 
there, because we have no perfect knowledge either of the nature of 
the brain, or the use of its different parts. 

After all, we understand enough to cause us to acknowledge the 
greatness of the Divine wisdom, power, and goodness. What remains 
inscrutable to our understanding, is the work of a sovereign intelli- 
gence, which manifests itself every where, as well within as without 
us ; and which is always accompanied with a goodness which is 
without bounds. O my God ! may my soul incessantly acknowledge 
thy gracious wisdom ! and may my lips declare the wonders of thy 
power ; wonders w^hich, though they surpass my conception, are to 
me ever advantageous and salutary ! 



214 MAY VII. 



Spring renews the face of the earth. 



MAY VII. 

SPRING RENEWS THE FACE OF THE EARTH. 

What an astonishing revolution takes place m every part of nature ! 
And how great is the goodness of that Supreme Being, who causes 
the seasons to succeed each other with so much order and regularity ! 
Our earth, which rested during the winter, re-assumes its verdure 
and fertility ; all the creation becomes reanimated, and seems to feel 
joy and gladness. But a few months since, the whole surface of the 
earth was a barren desert; the vallies, the appearance of which 
please us so much now, were then buried under a deep snow. The 
mountains, whose gray tops we now see elevated above the clouds, 
were then covered with snow and ice, and enveloped with an impene- 
trable fog. In those verdant avenues, where the nightingale at pre- 
sent dwells, nothing was to be seen but withered branches, utterly 
destitute of leaves. The brooks and rivulets which now run mur- 
muring along, were arrested in their course by ice, which rendered 
them immoveable. The birds, which fill the air with their songs, 
were then benumbed in caves and marshes, or were obliged to depart 
to other climes. A mournful silence reigned every where : and as 
far as the eye could extend its sight, nothing could be discovered but 
a melancholy solitude. 

But as soon as the breath of the Most High has been felt, nature 
arose from her stupor, and life, thanksgiving, and joy, are now diffu- 
sed through all its parts. The sun seems to approach our globe, and 
already the atmosphere is penetrated with his vivifying warmth ; the 
whole vegetable kingdom feels the beneficent influence ; the earth 
produces grass, flowers, and herbs of every kind. Now, the whole 
form of the earth is renewed and embellished. At the sight of this 
blessed revolution, should I not employ myself in meditating on that 
glorious Being who has wrought this change ! — " Lord thou visitest 
the earth, and the vallies assume a smiling appearance. Thou water- 
est them with thy dew to enrich them, and the fountains whence thou 
waterest them are always abundant. Our crops ripen at thy com- 
mand, and fill our hearts with joy. Thy blessing rests upon our fur- 
rows; and thy rains refresh the thirsty land. Thou dost saturate and 
bless its germs : thou crownest the year with thy kindness ; thy word 
renders the earth fruitful ; flowers and fruits spring up under thy 
footsteps: blessedness and fertility follow thee.— The pastures of 
the desert are watered, and the hills are adorned before us in smiling 
verdure. The country is covered with flocks, and the vallies are 
filled with corn ; they resound in all directions with shouts of joy, 
and songs of gladness. The praises and thanksgivings of universal 
nature, mount up even to the heavens." 

In this revolution which the spring produces, I see an expressive 
image of that salutary change which a soul feels that no longer re- 
sists the operation of the Divine Spirit. Previous to this it had no 



MAY VII. 215 



Sprinrg renews the face of natui-e. 



real beauty : its faculties were depraved and disordered, and it was 
wholly incapable of producing the fruits of piety. But how happy 
is its state since it has felt the sweet influence of the grace of God ! 
It is at present like the earth, which has experienced the influence of 
the vernal sun. Ignorance is dissipated, vanity and vice disappear, 
evil passions are subdued, the heart is filled with holy and religious 
sentiments, the fruits of which tend to delight and edify th€ children 
of men. 

how happy should I be if this spring of nature might become the 
epoch of a renovation as salutary to me. Should /be the only crea- 
ture in the universe which manifests neither life, grace, nor growth ? 
Shall I still continue barren and dead, whilst an universal fecundity is 
extended over the face of the earth ? No, I desire to become a new 
man ; and by the assistance of thy grace, my God, I will apply my- 
self to produce those fruits of righteousness and true holiness which 
shall be as pleasing in thy eyes as they are useful to mankind. 



MAY VIIL 

THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 

Many changes are now made in the vegetable kingdom under our 
immediate inspection. But there are many more which escape our 
observation, and which nature operates in secret. The seed which 
was deposited some time ago in the earth, swells, enlarges, and the 
plant bursts forth, and gradually shoots up. This operation merits 
our attention the more, because it is the source of all the beauties 
which spring and summer present in the vegetable world. 

The seed is composed of different parts according to its various 
species, but its principal is the germ. Every germ has two parts : the 
one simple, which becomes the root ; the other laminated, which be- 
comes the stalk and head of the plant. The body of most kinds of 
grain is composed of two pieces, which are called lobes ; these are 
filled with the farinaceous matter, and they serve for seminal leaves 
to the plant. Mosses have the most simple seed : it consists only of 
the germ, without pellicle, and without lobes. To cause the grain to 
bud, air, and a certain degree of humidity and warmth, are absolutely 
necessarj'. The augmentation of heat, and the difference which may 
be remarked in the taste and smell, seem to discover a certain fer- 
mentation. By means of this preparation, the farinaceous substance 
of the lobes becomes proper to nourish the tender germ. 

We know by experiments which have been made with coloured 
juices, that this substance imbibes a moisture which furnishes a pro- 
p3r nourishment, in union with the air and heat, till the little plant 
nas acquired strength enough to profit by the juice which the root 
imbibes. Then the exhausted lobes dry by little and little, and fall 



216 MAY VIII. 



Germination of seeds. 



off of themselves at the end of a few weeks, when the plant has no 
further need of their succour. Certain herbs which grow on the 
mountains, are of a very particular nature. As their duration is very- 
short, it often happens that the seed has not time to ripen : that the 
species may not perish, the button, which contains the germ, is 
formed on the top of the plant, puts forth leaves, falls, and takes 
root. 

When the little plant shoots up from the earth, it would run great 
risks, were it to he immediately exposed to the external air, and the 
action of the sun. Its parts therefore remain folded, lying close to 
each other, nearly as they were in the seed. But in proportion as 
the root grows strong and extends on all sides, it furnishes the supe- 
rior vessels with an abundance of juice, by means of which all the 
organs speedily unfold themselves. At first the plant is almost gelati- 
nous, but it gradually acquires more consistence, and continually in- 
creases in size. 

This epitome of the history of the germination of grain, may suf- 
fice to show us how rnany preparations and means nature uses to pro- 
duce a single plant. When we see a seed bud, which we have put 
in the earth, we must not imagine, as is ordinarily the case, that this 
is a thing which merits little of our attention. It is one of the won- 
ders of nature which has been the subject of the meditations of some 
of the greatest men. At the sight of this phenomenon, let us silently 
admire the power and wisdom of God, which are adorable in all 
things. Even the order in which plants succeed each other so regu- 
larly is a proof of that wisdom which manifests itself even in the 
smallest things. 

Here I should reflect on my moral nature : it also contains a cer- 
tain germ, which grows up with time, increases, and bears fruit. In 
the view of my Creator, this should be a mean of leading me to fe- 
licity ; but my natural corruption, and the circumstances in which I 
arn found, often counteract these merciful intentions. 



MAY IX, 

THE CHICK IN THE EGG. 

We are under the greatest obligations to naturalists, who have 
taken the trouble to make those inquiries into the generation and 
propagation of animals, which have cast the greatest light upon this 
subject. Nothing can contribute more to the glory of the Creator, than 
the observations which are made on the wisdom that manifests itself 
in the production of animal creation. The less we find ourselves 
capable of understanding the whole of his works, the more earnestly 
we should seize the opportunities which present themselves to us, to 
inquire into some of them. It is with this view I wish to excite my 



MAY IX. 217 



The chicle in the egg. 



reader to admire the wisdom of God, which may be particularly seen 
in the formation of the chick in the egg, according to the observations 
of the most accurate naturalists. 

Scarcely has the hen sat on the egg twelve hours, when some linea- 
ments of the head and body of the embryo chick may be discovered. 
At the end of the second day the heart begins to beat : at this time, 
it has the form of a horse-shoe : but the blood is not yet to be seen. 
At the end of forty-eight hours, w^e may discern two vesicles with 
blood, the pulsation of which is very evident. One is the left ven- 
tricle ; the other is the root of the great artery. About the fiftieth 
hour we may discover one of the auricles of the heart, which re- 
sembles a lace folded back on itself. The pulsation of the heart may 
be now remarked in the auricle, and afterward in the ventricle. 
At the seventieth hour we distinguish the wings ; and on the head, two 
knobs for the brain, one for the beak, and two others for the back 
and fore side of the head. Towards the end of ih.e fourth day two 
auricles, now distinctly visible, approach nearer to the heart than 
they did before. 

The auricle which was first seen appeared to have two horns, but 
these are now found to have been the two auricles. About the fifth 
day the liver is seen. At the end of 131 ho2irs, the first voluntary 
motion is perceived. At the close of 138 hours, the lungs and sto- 
mach become visible ; and at the conclusion of 142 hours, the intes- 
tines, the reins, and the upper jaw may be seen. In 144 hours, we 
see two ventricles, and two drops of blood, instead of the one which 
was seen at first. The seventh day the brain, which was mucilaginous, 
begins to assume some consistence*. After 190 hours of incubation, 
the beak opens, and the flesh appears on the breast. At the 194th 
hour the sternum, i. e. the breast-bone, may be seen. 

About the 210th hour, the ribs come out of the back, the beak is 
very visible, and so is the gall-bladder. The bile becomes green, 
after the 236th hoiir, and if the chick be taken from its integuments, 
it may be seen very plainly to move itself. The feathers begin to 
shoot towards the 240th hour, and the skull becomes cartilaginous. 
At the 264th hour, the eyes appear ; at the 2S8th, the ribs are per- 
fected : and at the 331st, the spleen approaches the stomach ; and 
the lungs the breast. At the 3-55th hour the bill often opens and shuts. 
At the close of 451 hours, or the 18 day of incubation, the first piping 
of the chick is heard. Afterward it continually increases in strength 
and size ; till at length it sets itself at liberty, by breaking the prison 
in which it has been confined. 

How adorable is the wisdom of God, which, by so many dif- 
ferent gradations, conducts these creatures into life. There is not 
one of these progressions but what is done according to order, and 
each carries with it its own reason. If, for example, the liver is 
always formed at the end of the fifth day, mis is founded on the pre- 
ceding state of the chick ; and on those revolutions which must 
afterward take place. No part of its bodv could apnear sooner or 

28 



218 MAY IX. 



The cliick in the egg. 



later without being an injury to the whole embryo ; for each of its 
members become visible in that moment which is the most proper. 
This order, so wise and so invariable in the production of this ani- 
mated body, is manifestly the work of a Superior Intelligence : but 
we shall acknowledge still more perfectly the creative virtue of God, 
if we consider, in the aggregate, the manner in which the chick is 
formed out of the parts of the egg. 

How marvellous is it, that we find in an egg the vital principal of 
an animated being, and that all the parts of the animal body are there 
hidden, and that warmth only is wanting to vivify them : that the 
whole formation of a chick is brought about in such an established 
and regular order, that exactly in the same time, the same revolutions 
takes place in twenty eggs, or as many as can be covered by a hen ! 
That the position of the egg being altered, or its being changed from 
one place to another, does not at all injure the foetus, nor hinder its 
formation : and that the chick on the moment of its bursting the shell, 
is found to be heavier than the whole egg was at first ! 

But these are not all the wonders manifested in the formation of a 
chick. The microscope and the scrutinizing spirit of man, have dis- 
covered only those which fall more immediately under the observa- 
tion of our senses. But the discovery of many things may be re- 
served for those who shall follow us ; or be perfectly known only in 
the world to come ! Many questions might be asked, especially on 
this mystery of generation, questions which the human spirit cannot 
resolve here below. But let not this ignorance discourage us. Let 
us only think how we may make a good use of our little stock of 
knowledge, and employ it to admire and celebrate the wisdom, power, 
and goodness of our Creator. 



MAY X. 

ON THE BUDS OF FLOWERS. 

On all sides I discover a multitude of flowers in bud. At present 
they are still enveloped, and closely shut up in their covers. All 
their beauties are hidden, and their charms veiled. — Such is the 
wretched miser, who is insulated and concentrated in himself; whose 
views are low and interested: who refers all to himself: and who 
wakes his private advantage, or personal pleasure, the centre of his 
desires, and the confined circle of his actions. 

But soon the penetrating rays of the sun shall open the buds of the 
flowers, deliver them from their silken bonds, and enable them to 
spread themselves magnificently before our eyes. With what a 
pleasing ruddiness will they then appear ! what delicious perfumes 
will they then exhale ! — In like manner, the most sordid miser will be- 
come beneficent as soon as divine grace shall shine upon his soul. 
A heart of flesh shall succeed a heart of stone : a feeling and sympa- 



MAY X. 219 



On the buds of flowers. 



thetic heart, capable of the sweetest and tenderest emotions. By the 
benign influences of the Sun of Righteousness, the social affections 
shall unfold themselves, and spread more and more. Cordial tender- 
ness shall then no longer be concentrated on one object, but shall be- 
come universal, shall embrace all men, shall extend its generous 
cares to the utmost distance, and cheer all that are within its reach. 

When I consider the buds of flowers, I think of you ye amia- 
ble and gentle youth of both sexes. The beauty and energy of 
your souls are not yet developed: your faculties are in a great 
measure yet hidden, the hope which your parents and masters enter- 
tain of you, cannot be soon realized. When you walk with your 
parents in the country or in the gardens, consider the buds of 
flowers, and say to yourselves ; " I resemble this bud, my parents and 
instructors expect the unfolding of my talents and faculties. They 
do every thing for me : they neglect nothing to form and instruct me : 
they watch with the most tender care over my education, that first 
by blossoms, and then by exquisite fruits, I may be their joy and 
consolation, and render myself useful to society. I must do every 
thing in my power to gratify the pleasing hopes which they conceive 
of me. May I profit by the cultivation they bestow on me, and by 
all the instructions they give, that I may daily become more wise, 
amiable, and pious ! To this end, I must take care not to give up my 
heart to those youthful desires and passions which may become mor- 
tal to my innocence, and destroy all the pleasing hopes which they 
have formed concerning me. 

" In the morning of my life I flourish as the bud which opens in- 
sensibly. My heart beats with joy, indulges the most pleasing hopes, 
and looks forward to nothing but a blessed futurity. But should I be 
so imprudent as to give admission to foolish desires, and to the false 
sweets of pleasure, my youthful heart would soon be dried up and 
blasted by these sinful flames." 



MAY XI. 

THE INDEFATIGABLE LABOURS OF THE BEE. 

One of the advantages of the spring is, that it gives an opportunity 
of observing the labours and industry of bees. And certainly the sight 
of a hive is one of the most beautiful sights which an admirer of nature 
can behold. A certain grandeur prevails in it which is astonishing. 
How interesting is that laboratory, where thousands of workmen are 
employed in different ways. We proceed from astonishment to asto- 
nishment in beholding the regularity of their labours, and especially 
those magazines so abundantly furnished with all that is necessary for 
the subsistence of the society during Avinter. But that which merits 
our attention most is the indefatigable assiduity, and uninterrupted 
labours of this little republic. 



220 MAY XL 



Indefatigable labours of the bee. 



Bees give us an example of diligence and activity, w^hich is not 
only uncommon, but which has, probably, never had its equal. 

They begin to show themselves as soon as the winter is past : even 
while there is room to suspect that the cold may injure them, and 
benumb their tender limbs. When the juices of flowers, which be- 
gin to spread, have not as yet been sufficiently concocted by the heat 
of the sun to furnish honey in abundance, the bees, however, do not 
fail to collect a little for their subsistence. But their cares and acti- 
vity are evidently redoubled during the spring and summer. In 
these seasons they are never idle. They do all that they can, and do 
not disdain the smallest profits, provided they may increase their 
stores only a little. In the construction of their cells, they are so 
indefatigable, that we are assured, that a comb with double cells set 
back to back, is finished in twenty four hours, so that 3000 bees lodge 
in them ! 

All the work is divided between the members of this republic. 
While some collect, prepare, and fill the magazines with the wax, 
others are occupied in different labours. Some take the wax, and 
build their cells with it ; others knead it, polish, and perfect the work : 
others collect the honey from the flowers, and lay it up in the hive 
for daily nourishment and future support : and others seal up the 
mouths of the cells with a covering of wax, in which they have sto- 
red up their winter's provision of honey. Some carry nourishment 
to the young ones, and shut up the habitation of those small worms 
with wax, which are near their metamorphosis, to the end that they 
may work more quietly. Some stop up with a glutinous substance all 
the clefts and openings of the hive, and plaster over all the weak 
places, to the end that neither the wind nor insects may find an en- 
trance. Some drag the dead out of the hives, for fear of infection ; 
or if these bodies be too heavy, they coat them over with a gummy 
substance or wax ; and cement it, so that while they corrupt under 
that crust, no bad effluvia may be exhaled. 

But it is not enough to admire the activity of these little creatures — 
we should emulate them : and attending to the proportions between 
them and ourselves, use them as our models. We have many more 
motives to diligence than these insects have. We have a soul of in- 
estimable worth, which will endure for ever. With what applica- 
tion should we labour to become happy, and to shun whatever might 
lead to total ruin ! What more capable of exciting us to indefatigable 
diligence and activity, than to think that the fruit of our labour is not 
to extend merely to a few days or years, but to eternity ! The bee 
collects honey, not for herself, but for her owners : but in attaching 
ourselves to wisdom, we labour for ourselves alone, and gather fruit for 
eternal life. 

Let us never be backward to do good ; but let us acquit ourselves 
of the duties of our vocation, with all the zeal and fidelity in our 
power. Let us accomplish, without delay, the task imposed upon us, 
and work while it is called to-day, for the night cometh wherein no 



MAY XL 221 



Indefatigable labours of the bee. 



man can work. Let us show forth the same diligence to the full as- 
surance of hope unto the end, that Ave may be followers of them who, 
through faith and patience, inherit the promises. Heb. vi. 11, 12. 
And let us attend to this the more particularly, because the winter of 
sickness and old age approaches ; and before death has for ever deci- 
ded our lot. 

" O man ! go to the school of the bee ; consider that wise labourer, 
and contemplate her works. Admire her activity and industry, by 
which she turns all to her advantage. Alwaj^s busy, ever indefatiga- 
ble, evening and morning she labours, and supports with courage the 
troubles of a short life. And wilt thou languish in indolence and idle- 
ness, or consume thy days in frivolous pleasures ? Ah, rather apply 
thyself to more earnest labour than even the bee, which has not re- 
ceived, like thee, the inestimable gift of reason. Thy life is short: 
may it be entirely consecrated to labour, without intermission, for the 
glory of thy great Master, and the welfare of thy soul ! The time 
which the Creator has given thee, should not be consumed in effemi- 
nacy and inaction. Thou hast received from his liberal hand, life, 
reason, and strength. Sanctify them by the love of labour ', and let 
thy tender years, thy manhood, and thy old age, be consecrated to the 
service and glory of thy God." 



MAY XII. 

HOW GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR THE NOURISHMENT OF ANIMALS. 

From the eleyliant to the mite, there is no terrestrial animal that 
can live without food and nourishment. From the eagle to the gnat 
there is no flying creature that can exist without it. From the levia- 
than to the smallest ivorm, there is no reptile which can subsist with- 
out eating. From the whale to the oyster, there is nothing in the wa- 
ters to which nourishment is not necessary. But, in forming these 
creatures, so that they have all need of food, God has provided at the 
same time, such an abundance and diversity of aliment, that every 
creature may receive that nourishment which is most proper for its sub- 
sistence. As many different species of animals as there are, so many 
different kinds of food are destined for their support: so that there is 
not a creature found on the earth, which has not got that food which 
is suitable to its nature. 

In respect to this, we may divide animals into three principal classes. 
The Jiist includes all those who live on the flesh of others ; some of 
<hese, as the lion, like quadrupeds only ; others, /o2<;Z5, as the polecat; 
others, Jish, as the beaver; and others, insects, as different kinds of 
birds. In these, however, there are many exceptions ; but in gene- 
ral it is certain, that every species has suitable aliments, which the 
great Creator has destined for it. 

The second principal class includes those animals which seek their 
nourishment in the vegetable kingdom. Almost every species of 



^2 MAY XII. 



How God has provided for animals. 



plants is the peculiar food of some particular animal. Some prefer 
grass, others the fruit of trees. Even among those who like the same 
plant, a remarkable difference is found. Some only take the root ; 
others the leaves ; some the stalk ; others the yith^ seed or the whole 
fruit ; and some ar^ found who eat the whole plant. 

The third principal class includes those animals which are nou- 
rished by the mineral kingdom. The greater part of these are insects ; 
and on this account it is difficult to determine what the aliments are, 
which are suitable to each species in particular ; for these animals 
being so small, they are not so easily observed as others. It is known 
however, that some live in earth, others in stones. And if we con- 
sider, that there is scarcely any plant, or animal, which does not serve 
for nourishment to some other animals ; we shall find no difficulty in 
supposing that it may be the same in the mineral kingdom, in which 
there is nothing found which does not serve, directly or indirectly, 
for nourishment to some insects. 

We may now understand these words of David : All creatures look 
unto thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou 
openest thy hand, and satisfiest all things with that which they desire. 
Tsa. cxlv. 15, 16. These cares of Divine Providence, are a very 
sensible proof of that eternal goodness which is extended over the 
universe. Let us reflect on the prodigious number of animals which 
exist. How many thousand genera of insects andbirds,and how many 
hundreds of thousands in each genus ! All these creatures find daily 
support. How many thousands of terrestrial animals live on all parts 
of the globe ! How many hundreds of thousands find lodging and 
food in the forests, in the fields, on the mountains, and in the val- 
lies ; in the caverns, and in holes of the rocks ; upon, and in trees, 
in clods of earth, and in stones! — What innumerable hosts inhabit 
the ocean ! — What immense shoals of fish swim in seas, rivers, and 
brooks ! All these creatures find daily means of support. What 
an inexpressible multitude, what an astonishing diversity of insects 
encompass us every where ! What millions of mJllions I Insects in 
the air, in plants, on animals, in stones, and upon other insects ! Each 
finds continually its daily food. But how amazing is the wisdom of 
the Creator, in the manner in which he nourishes these animals ? He 
gives to each that food which is most suitable to its nature. Every 
kind of food cannot agree with all. There is one sort for quadru- 
peds, another sort for fowls, another for fishes, and another for in- 
sects. This distribution of aliments is a mean very wisely ordained 
by the Creator, not only for the effectual support of every species of 
animals, but that no species of food which the earth brings forth ma/ 
be useless, but that her whole produce may be exactly consumed. 

Now if God take such care of animals destitute of reason, what will he 
not do for men ? This is the inference which the reader may and ought 
to draw from observing the arrangement which the Divine Providence 
has made to give all the creatures of the earth the things necessary 
for their support. thou of little faith ! Thou who art impatient, 



MAY XIL 223 



How God has provided for euiimals. 



anxiously careful and discontented, go and consider with what good- 
ness the Lord has provided for the life of animals ; and let this teach 
thee to be contented, and to trust in God. " See the fowls of the air, 
the wild beasts in the rocks and caves of the earth, the fish in the sea, 
and the different animals of the fields and the forests ; all find sufficient 
nourishment ; all find a convenient habitation. Great in little things as 
in great ones, God has not disdained nor neglected the smallest worm ! 
Can it then be possible, that MAN should be the only creature that is 
not the object of his paternal care !" 



MAY XIII. 

THE SENSES OF ANIMALS. 

In all animals, the organs of sense are arranged in such a manner as 
is comformable to their nature and destination. By these they are 
enabled to acquaint themselves with objects whether at hand or at a 
distance : by these they are enabled to provide for their necessities : 
and by these they avoid the dangers to which they are exposed. 

That sense, by which animals can form an idea of corporeal ob- 
jects, as soon as they touch them, is termed feeling. In beasts, as 
well as men, this sense is situated in the outward skin, which is co- 
vered with the extremities of a multitude of nerves. We cannot pos- 
sitively determine what revolutions feeling experiences in the greater 
part of beasts : we know not whether insects be not endov/ed with 
another sense, and whether their antennce be not the organs of a sense 
entirely unknown to man. Birds, fishes, serpents, and some other 
animals, appear to have no feeling. 

The organs of taste, are chiefly the tong^ie and the palate, which 
receive the impressions of savours ; but the papillce of the nerves are 
the immediate instruments in this case, as they are in that of feeling : 
and between those two senses there is a great analogy. 

Smelling has for its organ the membrane which lines the inside of 
the nose. It is by means of the ramifications of the nerves, which 
are spread on this membrane, that we perceive those odoriferous va- 
pours which float in the air. Animals, which require a more deli- 
cate and subtile smell, are endowed with, a greater perfection of this 
organ. Worms appear to be entirely deprived of it : and probably 
fish and insects also : but it is possible, that the antennce of the latter 
may be the organs of smelling. By means of this sense, beasts find 
whatever is necessary to the preservation of their lives ; birds and 
reptiles their nourishment ; and many animals, through this, are ap- 
prised of the approach of their enemies. 

By hearing, animals become sensible of the tremours and vibrations 
of the air. The structure of the ear is not the same in all beasts. 
Some, as the lizard, have two tympanums. Others are deprived of 
several of the instruments of hearing, which are common to the major 
part of animals. It is supposed that birds and fish are destitute of 



224 MAY XIII. 



The senses of animals. 



that part, which is called the meatus auditorius, and that worms and 
insects are absolutely deaf. 

The eyes are the organs of sight. Except the cuttle-fish, the hedge' 
hog, and perhaps a few others, all reptiles are without eyes. Quad- 
rupeds, fowls, fish and amphibious animals, have all two eyes, one on 
each side of the head. On the contrary, insects have in general, 
more than two. The spider and scorpion have eight. The greater 
part of the others have them by thousands, commonly collected in two 
orbits. Kfiy has 16,000 eyes ) a beetle 6362 : butterflies 34,650 I The 
number and situation of these eyes compensate insects for their inca- 
pacity of moving or turning them. Fish have nothing of the aqueous 
humour ; but their crystalline is almost entirely globular. 

All the organs of sense are manifestly disposed in such a manner as 
is comformable not only to the structure of the bodies of animals, but 
also to their different necessities. To be convinced of this, we need 
make but a small number of observations. As the eyes ot the greater 
part of insects are immoveable ; and in consequence useless in many 
cases, nature, to supply this defect, has given them antennce, by which 
they can discern whatever would be injurious to them, and what might 
escape their sight. The eyes of fishes are disposed with the same 
wisdom. A prominent eye would not be convenient for them : there- 
fore, their cornea is perfectly flat ; but to remedy the defect of 2ifiat 
cornea, the Creator has given them a crystalline perfectly round. In 
animals which live in open air, it is lenticular, and consequently 
more fiat. Although the figure of eyes in general be round; yet 
even in this roundness, great diversity may be remarked. Their situ- 
ation in the head is infinitely varied, according to the destination and 
necessities of the animal. In man, who sees little but what is before 
him, the eye is situated in the fore part of the head ; and is so con- 
structed, that it can receive impressions from the whole semicircle of 
objects before him. In birds, the eye is so situated, that it can admit 
almost the whole sphere of objects which encompass it; by this these 
animals are enabled the better to seek their nourishment, and to shun 
the dangers to which they are exposed. 

The ear of man has that figure which corresponds best to his up- 
right posture : in birds its posture is the most proper for flight : it 
does not project, for this would be an obstacle to their progressive 
motion ; but it is close and covered, that they may have a freer pas- 
sage through the air. 

What wisdom, what economy, what admirable art in the arrange- 
ment and in the disposition of the senses in animals ! But probably 
we know but the smallest part of this admirable mechanism. And 
doubtless the greater part of our observations in this respect, merit 
less the epithet of discoveries, than that of probable conjectures. If 
we could get a more perfect knowledge of the internal structure 
and use of the senses in animals, we should still have more cause to 
admire the wisdom of God : let us employ at least the little we do 
know to celebrate and glorify our common Creator. 



MAY XIII. 225 



Senses of animals. 



The more imperfect our knowledge of animals is, the more we 
should avoid treating them with indifference or contempt. Let us 
rather consider them as a mirror of the wisdom and power of God ; 
for animals themselves may furnish us with incontestable proofs that 
the Lord has made them as well as he has made us ; and that he is 
great in counsels, and abundant in means. 

MAY XIV. 

REGULARITY IN THE SUCCESSION OF FLOAVERS. 

Every plant appears upon earth in the order prescribed to it. The 
Creator has exactly determined the times when one is to unfold its 
leaves, another to flower, and a third to die away. Several weeks ago 
you have seen the snowdrop spring from the earth. A long time be- 
fore the trees ventured to unfold their leaves, and while even the earth 
was covered with snow and ice, it ventured to show itself : and of all 
the plants it was the first, and the only one, which charmed the eyes 
of the naturalist. Afterward the croaks appeared, but timidly, because 
it was too weak to bear . the impetuosity of the winds. With it, the 
lovely violet, and the auricula (so much esteemed for the brilliancy of 
its colors, and the variety of its species,) showed themselves. All 
these plants, and some others which appeared upon the mountains, 
formed the advanced guard of the army of flowers. And their arri- 
val, so pleasing in itself, had the further merit of proclaiming the 
speedy approach of the multitude of flowers. 

ISloiu we see the other children of nature present themselves; not 
all at once, but in successive order. Every month exhibits the orna- 
ments which are peculiar to itself. The tulip begins to develops its 
leaves and flowers. Speedily the beautiful aneviony will form its full 
round dome. The ranunculus will expand all the magnificence of its 
leaves, and charm our eyes by the most agreeable mixture of colours. 
And, to crown this amiable troop of flowers, the rose shall open and 
spread abroad all the charms which distinguish it : and the pink wilt 
appear with all those "graces which give it such a superiority over its 
companions. 

Let us stop here and reflect on the views of the wisdom and bene- 
ficence which are manifested in this succession of flowers. If they 
flourished all at once, we should at one time feel an excessive abun- 
dance, at another, a total want. We should be so soon deprived of 
them, that we should not have time to admire the half of their beau- 
ties. But when every species has its determined place and time, we 
can, in this agreeable succession, contemplate them more conveniently, 
and with more exactness. We can examine them more than once, 
enjoy their charms at our leisure, and gain a more extensive know- 
ledge of them. This kind and wise attention of Providence pro- 
cures another very precious advantage. It does not offer us merely 

29 



226 MAt XIV^. 



Regularity in the succession of flowers. 



each species of flowers in all its beauty ; but it remedies, in some sort, 
the transitoriness of these amiable productions of nature ; for though 
there are always some flowers fading, yet new ones are continually ri- 
sing in our gardens to afford us uninterrupted pleasure. 

What goodness in the Creator, thus to favour the human race with 
a constant succession of benefits ! What goodness, not only to set no 
bounds to the multiplying of his favours, but thus to render them con- 
stant and durable ! He literally conducts us by a flowery path, 
wheresoever we go flowers spring up under our feet, and the appear- 
ance and enjoyment of them may sooth and comfort the pilgrimage of 
life. 

In the same order in which flowers succeed each other, so does the 
human race. Every man appears in the world in that place which the 
infinitely wise Being has assigned him. Each is born in the time 
which God has chosen for him to exist in. 

From the beginning of the world, the generations of men succeed 
each other on this great theatre, each in its order, in that time, and in 
that place which the Creator has determined. 

The moment that children are born others return unto dust. While 
one is preparing to render himself useful to the world, another has fi- 
nished his business upon earth. Who knows when his turn shall 
come ? May I at least, when I leave the earth, retire as honourably as 
the tuliy or the rose, which have diflfused so much pleasure and grati- 
fication through the narrow circle in which they were planted. 

Finally, I should not disquiet myself, nor lose courage when I see 
the righteous depart from this life. Providence knows well how to 
replace them ; as, when the flowers of spring are faded, it never fails 
to grant a succession of new plants. 



MAY XV. 



THE ZOOPHITES. 



The zoophites, or plant animals, are nothing but insects ; but by 
reason of their external configuration, their fixedness to one place, and 
their producing themselves by buds and seeds, they very much resem- 
ble real plants. These animals, as well as plants, may be multiplied 
by grafts and slips. Their animal nature is only known by their sen- 
sibility and their vo-luntary motion. The greater part of zoophites are 
attached by a kind of root to the sea ; or to the waters in which they 
live. Many grow in stony and chalky places ; others are surrounded 
with a shell, which resembles horn, and others are soft and fleshy. 
This they all have in common, that without any preceding connexion, 
new zoophites proceed from the surface of their bodies. As long as 
these young animals are attached to the stalk, they form with it but 
one animal : they are nourished by it, and- nourish it in their turn : 
but a^ soon as they are detached from the stem, they have a proper 
existence by themselves. 



MAY XV. 227 



The zoophiles. 



Zoophites multiply themselves in a way which very much resem- 
bles the generations of plants. They form a species of germ, which 
contains a young animal, which grows for some time on the stalk ; 
and at last falls off, and becomes a perfect animal. Could we ever 
have imagined that there were animals which resemble plants, and 
are produced like them ? From the ideas which are generally 
formed of animal existence, could we have ever supposed that the 
brain, heart, stomach, and all the intestines necessary to life, could 
be produced anew ? Could we have ever supposed that an animal 
could exist, which had neither brain, heart, veins, nor arteries ; 
which, from the top to the opposite end of its body, is but one hol- 
low tube ; which appears to be all stomach, all intestine ; and whose 
arms and legs are stomachs and intestines ? Could we have ever 
thought of an animal that could be engrafted like a plum-tree j 
turned inside out like a glove ; and which produces its young as buds 
from branches ? Half a century ago, the person who would have 
hazarded such ideas would have passed for a madman. Nevertheless, 
it is incontestable at present, that there are such animals which not 
only in their outward form resemble plants, but also in their manner 
of perpetuating themselves. 

By this discovery, made in the beginning of the last century, natu- 
ral history has been a great gainer. We may even venture to say,- 
that our ideas of the power of God are more extensive. Since the 
zoophites have been discovered, we have a new proof that God has 
distinguished his different works by very narrow limits ; and that it is 
also impossible to determine where the vegetable kingdom ends, and 
the animal kingdom begins. It is commonly believed, that the differ- 
ence between plants and animals consists in this, that the former have 
neither sense nor motion ; and that the latter both feel and move.- 
This, no doubt, is the distinguishing characteristic between plants and 
animals : but haw weak are the distinguishing shades, how almost im 
perceptible the line that separates the two kingdoms, when we reflect 
on the discovery of the zoophites ! The different species of creatures 
are produced, grow up to perfection, and approach to one another in 
such a way, that the limits which distinguish them cannot be ascer- 
tained. Every where nature gives us a glimpse of that injinity which 
is the proper character of its great Author ! 

Infinite Being ! who can conceive all the immense grandeur of thy 
empire ? Who can perfectly comprehend the fulness of any one part 
of this empire ? ^Vhat wonders, which are now hidden, shall be dis- 
covered in successive ages ! But those which are now before us, are 
sufficient to convince us of thy infinite grandeur ! My employment 
shall henceforth be, to study and fathom more and more the wonders 
of thy government ; or at least, to make use of the little that I know 
of it to glorify thy great and holy name. But may I at last arrive in 
that blessed place, where I shall see thee as thou art, and perfectly 
understand the works of thy wisdom and goodness ! 



228 MAY XVI. 



The pleasures of agriculture and gardening. 



MAY XVI. 

THE PLEASURES OF AGRICULTURE AND GARDENING. 

The cultivation of fields and gardens is one of the most agreeable 
occupations, and perhaps the only one, the toil of which is recom- 
pensed Avith a thousand pleasures. The greater part of laborious 
employments, oblige men to shut themselves up in their chambers, 
and in their workshops ; but he who labours in the fields, enjoys the 
pure and open air ; and breathes freely on the magnificent theatre of 
nature. The azure heaven is his canopy, and the earth, ornamented 
with flowers, is his carpet. The air which he breathes is not corrup- 
ted by the empoisoned exhalations common to cities. A thousand 
pleasing objects present themselves to his eyes ; and if he has any 
taste for the beauties of nature, he can never be destitute of pure and 
genuine pleasures. 

When in the morning the light opens anew the brilliant scene of 
the creation, he hastes to go out and enjoy it in the fields or in his 
garden. The dawn announces to him the speedy approach of the 
sun. The green grass erects itself, and its points shine with drops of 
dew, which appear like diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. The 
delicious odours which are exhaled from the herbs and flowers, per- 
fume and delight him. The air around him resounds with the sing- 
ing of birds, by which they express their joy, their love to each 
other, and their happiness. Their concerts are hymns of praise to 
the Creator, whose blessings they prove in the pleasing light and 
heat of the sun, in the savour of their food, in the sweet instincts of 
nature, and in their joy and cheerfulness ! Is it possible, that at the 
appearance of so manjr delightful and affecting objects, the heart 
should not be filled with jo}^ gratitude, and love to God ? Can a per- 
son who enjoys these, help loving, admiring, and being filled v/ith 
veneration for his Maker ? Can the mind have a more pleasing em- 
ployment than that of contemplating and celebrating the august per- 
fections of God, the extensiveness of his views, and the beauty of his 
works ? 

What contributes further to render agriculture and gardening sin- 
gularly pleasing is, that an infinite diversity of objects, labours, and 
occupation^ attach us to the Avork, and thus prevent that disgust which 
is the inseparable companion ot sameness. There is a great variety 
of plants, fruits, herbs, and trees, which present themselves to us un- 
der a multitude of different forms. Nature leads the labourer by the 
most varied paths, and presents him with a thousand pleasing changes. 
At one time, be perceives plants just springing from the earth ; and 
at another time he beholds others, which arise and expand them- 
selves ; and others still which are in full bloom. On whatsoever side 
he turns himself, he beholds new objects. The heavens above his 
head, and the earth under his feet, contain inexhaustible treasures of 
pleasure and delight. 



AIAY XVi. 099 



W:^ 



crops vviieii meY siioioia uu sue graiienes oi iiie jitsf ajaa me udjus^ 
widi new sheaTes. 

O think on Hun. when, in springs, the sweet breathing of the ze- 
fdijTs, die image of his goodness, Te&eshes you in die air ; when, in 
antnmn, the branches of the trees ' ^ : " n under the weight of his 
gifts. 

He crowns the year with tii r is he source of all good. 

The parched fields are water r t ; ^^ _:ih he sends, and by 

him the earth becomes ferdle. 

Praise the Lord ! Behold die forests, die rirers, the Tallies — they 
discoTer to yon the traces of his goodness. Yon may find him in die 
meadow, and in the direTsity of flowers hj which it is ornamented. 
Erery where yon may z:.ee". " : :: :J:e L::: :: '.':^^ imiTerse ! 



MAY XVII 



vrhichiD:hr ;: rv : ; . _t ;: urs, 



c:; -'.It : ::.:::--: ::.:. :;:,'::^- :.: : ::.i-:-:\^ y :-:"ersinca. 

n , ^ ..:/ -r^; ,: :^^ :t;-:.:..::-: :^;: :- ':t i::i.-; ■■'-■.-L i:.riiral(ioii. 

T: '::: ::..':-.:r;. ;: ...^ r;;:^:T.:.:T :; :. ."::;■. G;:. r:^ v^:^:. .ij coa- 
:e:.v:-:.:r ;. -::'.-: '.:- :.--- :-:'.-':-■ I:: :• ii-iii-e .-Z.: -.--.l :. .:i;.^:eTpiece 
r :' :"-.:;.: - : : ;- ": . : 1 ^ : t :. "; 7 kikiikd. cliance, wiLikOu.i sie i:i:e:"Ten:ion 

c: : .. :.::.... T-.: :: \e '■ 

^ red and propagated by the bnlboiis 

jr: T T - instruction of this machine, and that 

r: : e -Ti : vi: :: 1^ subsequent reTolntions have 

>^^ ^ V. T re .: .1 : "^e not necessarily admit an 

^- 1 T ; -- - T V ::r? It requires as nrach 

.v^^^i^ ^^ p: : :r? :e :. :: : ; : 1 which ten odiers shall 

spring, as to ere a: e r : :e. F:r. 'e new ones must have neces- 



230 MAY X¥II1. 



The tulip. 



sarily existed in those which have gone before ; and it is manifest, 
that ^heir figure and their number must have been previously deter- 
mined. When, therefore, we see a bed of tulips, we should not con- 
fine ourselves merely to admire their beauty ; but we should espe- 
cially admire the infinite wisdom of God, who has sketched the out- 
lines of these flowers, and exeeuled -the work with so much perfec- 
tion. 

Whatever the beauties of the tulip maybe, they lose a little of their 
value when we consider they are only to please the sight ; for this 
flov/er is not odoriferous. As soon as we place the pink beside it, which 
unites with the beauty of its form the most exquisite perfume, we 
forget immediately the variegated drapery of the tulip. This is the 
case of those persons, who, endowed with the charms of beauty, set 
them off with intrinsic ornaments : but who have neither a good un- 
derstanding, nor a good heart. But is it not much more advantageous 
to have fewer external ornaments, and an amiable disposition ? The 
former captivate only for a time ; but the beauty of the mind remains, 
when all the charms of the form have disappeared; for the esteem 
which virtue inspires is durable and permanent. A virtuous mind is 
pleasing both to God and man. It is formed after the rules of Wis- 
dom : and its decoration is innocence. The odour of good works 
diffiises itself wherever it dwells ; and he who emits this, shall be 
shortly transplanted into the garden of Paradise. 

One observation which the history of plants furnishes, is, that the 
more beautiful ajlower is, the sooner it fades. In a short time, there 
will be no more of this beautiful tulip than a dry and dead stalk. Its 
beauty, and its life, last only a few weeks : age destroys its charms, 
its leaf withers, its colours fade, and ih© tulip which lately resembled 
a beaiitiful virgin, is now only a deformed skeleton. What a useful 
lesson is this for us ! How little should we depend on external advan- 
tages ! How frail and transitory is the beauty of the body ! How near 
is the approach of death I For what is our life, but the life of a 
flower ? Those who resemble it in their beauty, resemble it also in 
the short duration of their lives. For man who is born of a woman, 
has but few days, and full of trouble ! he grows up and flourishes as 
a flower, and speedily withers away. {Job, xiv. 1, 2.) When this 
moment arrives, may we end our lives as honourably as the tulip 
does hers I It has been the ornament of the garden, and the delight 
of the naturalist. Its death is the more to be regretted, because its 
life has been pleasing and useful. May the circumstances of our life 
and death be the same !" " Live so, that when death comes to mow 
you down, pious people, in regretting your loss, may weep over your 
tomb, and say to each other, Alas ! why has not so much excellence 
been longer continued among men!" 



MAY XVIII. 231 



Reflections on gi-ass. 



MAY XVIIL 



REFLECTIONS ON GRASS. 



How beautiful soever the flowers may be, which, by the care and 
industry of man are cultivated in our gardens ; we can know little 
of the wonders of the vegetable kingdom, if we confine our researches 
to the parterre. Every field, as well as the most artificially embel- 
lished garden, is also a theatre of the wonders of God, and has the 
same claim to our attention. 

Can there be any thing more astonishing than the great quantity of 
grass which is found in one meadow? Let us suppose a meadow a 
thousand yards in length, and as many in breadth ; its surface would 
then be a million of square yards. And let us suppose that in step- 
ping, we cover ten tufts of grass ; then, a square yard contains a hun- 
dred of these tufts. Whence it follows, that in casting our eye over 
that meadow, we see at once a hundred millions of the.se curiously 
formed machines. Let us grant that each tuft has a hundred tubes, 
by means of which it imbibes nourishment from the earth : this gives 
us ten thousand millions of regular and perfect tabes ! But who can 
imagine that a tuft of grass has need only of a hundred tubes for its 
nourishment and growth ; seeing that each tuft is a series of similar 
tubes ? What an immense multitude must there be found in the whole 
meadow ! And how small in comparison, is the number of plants and 
flowers which are cultivated in our gardens ! Why has the Creator so 
prodigiously multiplied the productions of the vegetable kingdom ? 
Why, from each species of grass, does he cause such an innumerable 
multitude to spring? It is, without doubt, that beasts, as well as men, 
may find their subsistence. Fields and meadows are, properly grana- 
ries for animals. 

Another thing relative to the grass, which deserves well to be ob- 
served, is, that it requires neither seed nor labour \ and that it grows 
and perpetuates itself independently of our care. How desolate and 
parched would our fields and meadows be, if we were obliged to sow 
the seed of all this grass, and afterward to water what our hands had 
sowed and planted ? But from the creation of the world, God has 
taken care that there should not be a deficiency of grass. From that 
almighty word of God Let the earth hr in g forth grass, the herb yield- 
ing seed, whose seed is in itself, proceeds the uninterrupted fertility of 
our fields. 

If we reflect on the colour with which God has adorned the grass, 
it will be sufficient to induce us to acknowledge the tender care of the 
Creator. If all the fields were lohite or re<i, who could, for any length 
of time, endure the splendour? If the prevailing colour were more 
obscure or gloomy, how dismal would the whole face of nature appear? 
But God considers the state of our sight, and far from injuring or 
fatiguing it, he strengthens and comforts it. And what is still more 
remarkable is, that there is such a diversity in this colour, that not 



232 MAY XVIII. 



Reflections on grass. 



a single plant appears whose green is exactly as bright or as deep as 
that of another. 

Is it not therefore manifest, that in the arrangement of the vegeta- 
ble kingdom, God has provided not only what is useful, but what is 
pleasing. This twofold attention is very proper to convince us of that 
sovereign wisdom and goodness which God has extended over the 
earth. May the proofs of this which he incessantly places before our 
e)^es, never leave us either indifferent or unaffected ! On the contra- 
ry, may the reason which he has given us, be employed in tracing out 
this Being of infinite wisdom and goodness in all his works ! 

As often as we walk in the fields, let us indulge those meditations 
which the sight of the grass ought naturally to inspire. Lord ! with 
what wisdom hast thou formed these plants ! With what tenderness 
hast thou provided for man and beast ! With what bounty dost thou 
dispense the rain, and the beams of the sun, lor the increase of ve- 
getables and other simples, which strengthen our bodies ; milk, which 
affords so sweet and healthy a nourishment ; the flesh of animals, which 
is given in such abundance ; all these advantages, and an infinity of 
others, thou grantest us through means of the fields ! For these I 
bless thee, O my God and Creator : and for these may I for ever 
praise thee ! 



MAY XIX. 

SENTIMENTS EXCITED BY THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE HEAVENS. 

Who but a spirit of unbounded intelligence and power, could have 
formed this superb vault which we see above us ? Who could have 
given these immense globes their motion, that perpetual motion, the 
velocity of which is inexpressible ; a motion which the smallest grain 
of sand could not have of itself? Who has commanded these enor- 
mous masses of sluggish and inactive matter to assume so many differ- 
ent forms ? Whence came those connexions, that beauty, and har- 
mony, which shine forth in every part of the great whole ? Who has 
determined these things so exactly in number, weight, and measure ? 
Who has prescribed to these immense bodies the laws which could 
not be discovered but by the most sublime genius ? Who has mea- 
sured those vast circles in which the planets move, without ever de- 
parting a hair's breadth from their track ? Who has introduced them 
into that course, through which they are to run without interruption ? 
All these questions lead us to thee, thou adorable Creator ! Thou 
self-existing, independent, and infinite Being : it is to thee that these 
heavenly bodies owe their existence, their laws, their arrangement, 
their power : and all those advantages which they procure to the earth 
proceed from thee. 

What sublime ideas rise in our mind, when we comtemplate these 
grand objects ! If the space where so many thousands of worlds move, 



ivIAY XIX. 233 



Contemplation of the heavens. 



cannot be measured by your understanding : if the globes, which make 
their prodigious revolutions in it, be of such a magnitude as to terrify 
us ; if the edifice of the universe which the Creator has reared, be 
of such immensity that all our ideas are lost in it; what must thy 
grandeur be, O God ; and what understanding can comprehend it ? If 
the heavens, and all their hosts, have so much magnihcence, beauty, 
and majesty, that the eye cannot satisfy itself with beholding them ; 
and the soul is penetrated with admiration ; what must thy beauty be, 
infinite Creator, of whose splendour and glory these creatures are 
but a faint shadow, an imperfect image ? What must be the infinite 
extent of thy wisdom and understanding, since thou seest at one glance 
ail this immense space, and all the innumerable bodies which it con- 
tains, and hast so intimate a knowledge of the nature and properties 
of all the beings which thy hands have placed there ? What a depth of 
riches, of \\dsdom, and understanding, must be found in thee, O Lord, 
who hast formed these admirable plans ; who hast calculated every 
thing ; and who hast measured the whole with so much exactness, 
that nothing can be added, and nothing taken away ; who hast con- 
ceived and established those different laws which all the globes must 
observe ; who hast proposed to thyself such sublime ends ; who hast 
employed the most wise means to accomplish them ; and who hast 
understood how to put such union, connexion, and harmony, into all 
thy works ! How great must thy power have been, to realize all these 
plans, to conduct and direct, even to the present time, according to thy 
own will, the most immense masses ; to animate all by thy breath, 
and to preserve the whole by the word of thy power ! 

But, would God have given us such proofs of his power and glory 
without having some great end in view ? Shall the heavenly bodies 
announce the infinite skill, almighty power, and boundless wisdom of 
the Lord, without effect? Shall they uselessly dispense that abun- 
dance of favours which the Divine Goodness distributes to us by 
their means ? Are not all these things done, that intelligent creatures 
may pay attention to them, reflect upon them, and make them the 
subject of their meditations ? If we admire the masterpieces of an 
eminent artist, what stupid indifference would it be not to admire the 
art and infinite wisdom which are manifest in the works of the Most 
High ? If we honour those who have a talent to execute great and 
beautiful works ; with what respect, v/hat profound humility, ought 
we to prostrate ourselves in adoration to that God, who has construct- 
ed the magnificent edifice of the universe : and who has manifested in 
it so much majesty and so much glory ? The heavens announce his 
magnificence ; and shall we not proclaim him as the Lord and King of 
the world ? All the heavenly bodies obey him, and all their revolu- 
tions are formed according to the laws which he has prescribed. And 
shall ma-fi alone refuse to obey the King oi the universe, who also is 
his Lord and Creator ? Shall he refuse to have his conduct regulated 
by those wise and salutary laws which he has given ? The influences 
of the divine bounty descend upon us from all quarters, and bring us 

30 



234 MAY XIX. 



Contemplation of the heavens. 



blessings, conveniences, and pleasures without number ! AVliat love, 
what gratitude, do we owe him ! With what diligence should we imitate 
David, who cried out, when contemplating the works of xhe Lord, I 
will sing unto the Lord while I live : I will sing praises unto my God 
while I have any being: my meditation of him shall be sweet; and 
I will rejoice in the Lord. Bless the Lord, my soul, Hallelujah ! 



MAY XX. 

FECUNDITY OF PLANTS. 

The magnificence of the terrestrial part of the creation does not 
shine to more advantage in any thing than in the astonishing fecun- 
dity of plants. A single one produces thousands, yea, and millions of 
others. One stalk of tobacco pruduces forty thousand three hundred 
and twenty grains of seed ! And if from this we calculate its fecundity 
for the space of four years, we shall find it may produce two tril- 
lions, six hundred and forty-two thousand nine hundred and eight bil- 
lions, two hundred and ninety-three thousand three hundred and sixty- 
five millions, seven hundred and sixty thousarid grains of seed ! An elm, 
of twelve years growth, has often ij^roducedi a hundred thousand grains 
of seed. What a prodigious number may spring from these in the 
course of a few years I Supposing that this tree has but one hundred 
thousand buds, and that the shoot of each year contains only fine, there 
will be then, in each year,^ye hundred thoitsand ^isixits, which may be 
considered as new. If to this we add what is produced by the exten- 
sion of the root, by grafts, &c. we may well be astonished that the 
earth itself has not been entirely exhausted by plants ! 

But we must think also on that countless multitude of animals which 
derive their nourishment from the vegetable kingdom; they consume 
a great number of plants annually, and if nature had not endued ve- 
getables with a very extraordinary generative virtue, we might well 
fear for their total destruction. But the very animals which consume 
often propagate them. Birds eat fruits ; but they void the kernels just 
as they have swallowed them, without being in the least damaged. 
While they are pecking certain kinds of fruit, they scatter the seed 
often to a considerable distance. This dispersion is necessary, to the 
end that one species of plant may not occupy a whole field. It is for 
this very purpose that certain seeds are furnished with a sort of wings, 
that they may be scattered about by the wind. 

It is certain, that plants are more prolific than animals. Of this we 
may be fully convinced, by comparing the number of plants with that 
of quadrupeds. The former produce annually, sometimes during 
several ages, a great number of new trees : whereas large animals, 
such as the elephant, and the 77iare, bring forth only two young ones 
at the most ; and are often barren. Small quadrupeds, such as the 
dQg, the cat, the rat, &c. are abundantly more prolific ; but their fe? 



MAY XX. 235 



Fecundity of plants. 



cundity can by no means be compared with that of trees. Fish and 
insects come nearer : the tench deposits about ten thousand eggs : the 
carp 20,000, and the cod, a million. 

Let us now compare this fecundity with that of the wild rose^ the 
mustard^ and the fern ; and we shall find that these plants multiply 
much more than either fish or insects, especially when we con- 
sider, that ail plants multiply themselves in a variety of ways ; whereas 
the greatest part of animals have only one way of propagating their 
species. A tree may produce as many new trees as it has boughs, 
branches, and even leaves ! In how wise a proportion has God regu- 
lated propagation in ^he vegetable and animal kingdoms ! If the mul- 
tiplication of vegetables were less considerable ; a great number of 
animals must die through hunger ; our fields and meadows would be 
deserts, where a few plants only might appear here and there. But 
on the other hand, if the Creator had willed that the animals which 
feed on grass and vegetables, had multiplied more than plants, the 
vegetable kingdom must have been quickly consumed ; and several 
species of animals have become extinct. 

But, from the relation established between the two kingdoms, the 
inhabitants of each multiply in proportion, and no species is destroy- 
ed. Thus, O man, abundance and pleasure surround thee every 
where. It is for thy sake that the Creator gives that astonishing fe- 
cundity to vegetables. It is for thy nourishment, pleasure, and health, 
that he has produced such a multitude and diversity of plants. Count, 
if thou canst, those which cover one field. — Their number cannot be 
expressed; and this innumerable multitude is an image of the im- 
mensity and omnipotence of the Lord, who in all the kingdoms of 
nature, opens his hand, and satisfies the desires of every living crea- 
ture. 



MAY XXI. 

A DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAUTIES OF SPRING. 

Nothing is more worthy of admiration, than the revolutions which 
the spring produces on our globe. In autumn, every valley, field, 
and forest, presents us with an image of death ; and in winter, nature 
is deprived of all her ornaments. The animals are gloomy, the in- 
habitants of the forest hide themselves, and are silent ; the earth is 
changed into a vast solitude, a desert, an universal tomb ; and nature 
seems to have fallen into a state of inaction and insensibility. She, 
however, labours silently, while we are ignorant of that sacred influ- 
ence, that divine virtue, which is making preparations for the reno- 
vation of nature. Life comes to reanimate torpid bodies ; and all is 
in expectation of a similar resurrection. In the trees alone, what a 
multitude of changes take place ! First of all the sap, which, during 
the winter, had entirely abandoned the branches and trunks of the 



236 MAY XXI. 



Description of the beauties of spring. 



trees, begins to ascend slowly, in their invisible tubes ; and particu- 
larly in the bark, by paths which can neither be guessed at, nor dis- 
covered. The sap swells up the buds : and what treasures of divine 
power are enclosed in these little recesses ! The leaves, with the 
smiling green which colours them ; the branches which are to shoot 
through between the unfolded leaves ; new buds attach to these 
branches, full of invisible leaves ; afterward that multitude of 
blossoms, with those sweet exhalations which embalm the air ; in those 
blossoms, fruit; and in those fruits the seeds of an infinite number 
of other trees. 

The delightful splendour of the sun transports and ravishes the 
soul : and the activity of nature in the plants which surround us, 
charms our sight. There is no field which does not present the 
eye with an enchanting landscape, and the smell with odoriferous 
flowers. Almost every bird sings its hymns with more or less melo- 
dy. How cheerful is the song of the linnet^ which fluttering from 
branch to branch, continues its sounds, as if it wished to draw the at- 
tention of man to itself, in preference to others, to delight him with 
its sweet accents. The sprightly lark springs up aloft, and seems 
to hail the day and welcome the spring with her pleasing notes. The 
cattle, by their cries, express that vigour and joy with which they 
feel themselves animated. In the rivers we see the fish, which, du- 
ring the winter had fallen motionless and frozen to the bottom, arise 
near the surface : they have recovered their former vivacity ; their agi- 
lity, and their various, easy, and pleasing motions attract and amuse 
our sight. 

How is it that we can so often see all these objects without feeling 
the most profound and respectful admiration for the grandeur of that 
Infinite Being, whose power is thus manifested with so much glory ? 
Never should we breathe the pure and fresh air of spring, without 
exciting ourselves to such reflections as these. Let us never con- 
template a tree adorned with leaves, a field covered with waving 
corn, an enamelled meadow, a majestic forest ; let us never pluck a 
flower, nor take a step in a garden, without considering that it is 
God who covers us with the delightful shade of the trees ; that it is 
He who makes the flowers so beautiful, and who sends us their per- 
fumes ; that it is God who clothes the woods and the meadows with 
that beautiful verdure, by which our eyes are both strengthened and 
delighted ; God who gives life and happiness to every creature ; 
God, by whom we exist, abundantly more happy than the thousands 
.of our fellow-creatures; and by whom we enjoy the pleasures of 
spring. 

As nature feels the blessed influence of the spring, so the Christian 
feels ecstatic delight, when, after having hidden his face, his God ap- 
proaches, and restores to his soul the testimony of his grace and sal- 
vation. The life of a Christain has its dark nights, and luminous 
days. When the former continue long, may we not compare that 
state to the winter? The energy of the soul is blunted and be- 



MAY XXL 237 



Description, of the beauties of spring. 



numbed, and it is almost destitute of spiritual motion and life. He 
awakes then out of his security ; he now feels more than ever the 
necessity of depending on his God and Redeemer ; he feels that if left 
to himself he can do nothing, and that the soul has as much need of 
the Spirit of Jesus, as the vegetable kingdom has of the influence of 
the natural sun. But the Lord leaves him not ; he returns, and shows 
that he can manifest himself to a penitent, believing soul. Then, il- 
luminated by heavenly light, and vivified by Divine grace, the Chris- 
tian receives such convincing proofs of the love of his God, that joy 
and peace spring up in his soul. 

I bless thee also, thou God of mercy, for the precious gift of thy 
grace. Spring itself would be destitute of charms in my eyes, and 
would be much less calculated to inspire me with delight, were I de- 
prived of those more sublime joys which thy grace sheds abroad in 
the heart of the Christian ! While my heart feels thy love, I can the 
better relish the beauties of nature. Continue to manifest thy pre- 
sence in my soul, and condescend to cherish in it that blessed hope of 
one day enjoying the gifts of thy bounty in a better world ! 



MAY XXII. 

THE LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS. 

Man, properly speaking, is the only animal which is endued with 
the gift of speech ; and in this especially, his superiority over all 
other animated beings is manifested. It is by means of speech that he 
extends his empire over all nature; that he raises himself to his Di- 
vine Author ; contemplates, adores, and obeys him. It is by this 
that he learns to know himself, and the creatures which are around 
him ; and that he is enabled to make them subservient to his interests. 
All animals, man excepted, are deprived of this faculty ; because they 
are destitute of reason, which is Vv'hat capacitates us to acquire the 
languages, and to know the use of speech. But, as animals make 
their wants and feelings known by natural signs ; so they utter certain 
sounds which express their sensations, and in this respect we may al- 
low them a sort of language. The diversity of these sounds, their 
number, use, and the order in which they succeed each other, form 
the essence of the language of animals. 

To form a just idea of this we need not have recourse to laborious 
researches : it will be sufficient to observe the animals which are 
daily before our eyes ; and with which we have, in a certain sense, 
a familiar intercourse. Let us examine the hen and her chickens ; 
when she finds any thing, she calls and invites them to it : they under- 
stand her, and come instantly. If they lose sight of this tender mother, 
their plaintive cries express the distress they are in ; and the desire 
they have to find her. Pay attention to the different cries of the 
cock^ either when a stranger or a dog enters the yard ; or when a 



238 MA? XXll. 



Language of animals. 



hawk, or such like bird of prey, presents itself; or when he calls 
to, or answers his hens. What do the lamentable cries of the turkey 
mean ? See her young immediately hide themselves, and lie so still, 
that one would imagine them dead. The mother looks upwards, and 
her anxiety is redoubled : but what has she discovered ? a black point 
that we can scarcely distinguish ; and which proves to be a bird of 
prey, which could not escape the vigilance nor the piercing eyes of 
the mother. The bird of prey disappears, and she sets up a cry of 
joy ; her anxiety is at an end; the young ones revive, and assemble 
joyfully about their mother. 

The language of the dog is so various, copious, and expressive, 
that it would be sufficient of itself to form a dictionary. Who can 
be insensible to the joy which this faithful domestic shows at the re- 
turn of his master ? He leaps, dances, runs hither and thither, turns 
with a graceful precipitance round his master : suddenly stops, fixes 
his eyes upon him with the greatest tenderness: approaches, licks, 
and caresses him several times. Then recommencing his gambols, 
he disappears ; then returns, dragging something after him ; assumes 
all sorts of pleasing attitudes; barks, tells every body his happiness, 
and evidences his joy in a thousand ways. But how different are 
the sounds which he utters now, from those which he makes after 
night, when he perceives a thief, or a beast of prey ? If we follow 
the pointer J we may observe how he communicates his mind by his 
motions, and particularly by those of his tail : and with what address 
he associates his gait, and his difierent signs, to the discoveries which 
he wishes to impart. 

This may afford us an opportunity of admiring the wisdom and 
goodness of the Supreme Being. What tender care has he mani- 
fested to the animals, in giving them power to express, by sounds, 
their wants and feelings ! From their organization, and the nature 
of their soul, it is impossible that they should speak the language of 
man ; but they would have been much to be pitied, and less adapted 
to our use, if the Creator had entirely deprived them of the power 
of making themselves understood, by enabling them to utter certain 
sounds : they are compensated for the privation of speech. And he 
has endued them with the address to communicate their sensations 
to their fellow-creatures, as well as to man, in a thousand little ways. 
He has provided them with organs calculated to produce and vary a 
certain number of sounds ; and their structure is such, that each spe- 
cies has distinct and peculiar tones, by which they convey their 
meaning. Hence it is, that when we blow into a windpipe of a dead 
sheep, or cock, you would imagine you heard the animal itself. In a 
word, the Creator has given the language of animals all the perfection 
which their nature could admit of, and all that the end for which he 
created them required. 

How perfect does man appear when he is considered in regard to 
the gift of speech ! The language of animals consists in a multitude 
of imperfect, inarticulate sounds. They have no ideas but what come 



MAY XXIL 2'35 



Language of animals. 



through the medium of their senses, because they are incapable of 
learning a methodical language. They only know objects by certain 
sensible qualities, to which all their judgments, and all their compari- 
sons, are limited. As to us, we possess faculties in all respects far su- 
perior ; we can arise to general notions, and separate the object from 
the qualities which distinguish it. We can through the medium of 
an infinite number of arbitrary and articulate sounds, express all our 
conceptions ; we can understand the relations which connect us to 
other beings, act in consequence, and thus ensure our felicity. 

O Lord, our Creator ! what obligations are we under to thee ! Let 
us never forget this important part of thy benefits. As often as we 
speak, may it be to show forth the excellence of thy wisdom and 
goodness, and the eminent privileges with which thou hast favoured 
us ! 



MAY XXIII. 

THE NUBIBER AND BIAGNITUDE OF TERRESTRIAL CREATURES. 

The works of the Lord are vast and numerous ! This we must 
have acknowledged, had we known those only which the earth con- 
tains : for how great is the extent of our globe, the abode of so many 
different nations ! These occupy vast territories in it ; nevertheless, 
how many deserts and wastes still remain which have never been in- 
habited by man ! And what is still more striking is, that the land 
taken altogether, does not occupy near so great a space on the globe, 
as that prodigious assemblage of waters, the sea. But if the earth itself 
be a proof of the greatness of the works of the Almighty ; we can- 
not cast our eyes on the creatures which it contains, without admiring 
at the same time, the amazing number and diversity of these works. 

First, we find innumerable kinds of stones, metals, and minerals, 
hidden in the bowels of the earth. And what an astonishing variety 
of trees, plants, fruits, and vegetables, cover its surface ! Notwith- 
standing all the trouble which has been taken to observe and classify 
the different species of herbs, the business is yet far from being 
complete : and it is probable, that all the efforts of future naturalists 
will ever be inadequate to its accomplishment. Let us next consi- 
der the living creatures : what a prodigious diversity do they afford ! 
Between the eagle and the gnat, the whale and the gudgeon, the ele- 
phant and the mouse, the disproportion is immense ; nevertheless, the 
intervals which separate them, are completely filled up with living 
creatures. The various species of animals come so near to each 
other, that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one from another ; 
yet these species are so multiplied, that from the gnat to the ele- 
phant, they form an extensive chain, each link of which is connected 
with the preceding. In the seas, lakes, and rivers, on the surface of 
the earth, and in its bowels, there is scarcely a point, which in one 
way or other, does not serve for the abode of some living creature. 



240 MAY XXlil. 



Number and magnitude of terrestrial creatures. 

But however great the number of living creatures which we have 
under our eye may appear ; they are ahnost nothing in comparison 
of those which are too small to be seen by the naked eye. By the 
assistance of the microscope, discoveries almost incredible are made ; 
of which any person, who has the opportunity, may be convinced by 
his own eyes. By these means, a new world, which was before to 
us entirely unknown, presents itself to our view. Here we see liv- 
ing creatures, the extreme minuteness of which can scarcely be con- 
ceived by the human imagmation ; for some of these animals are 
scarcely equal in size to the millionth part of a grain of sand ! And 
it is not their number and diversity only which should strike us with 
astonishment ; but likewise their beauty and the delicacy of their 
structure. What appears coarse to the naked eye, seen through a 
microscope, has a splendour and delicacy which surpasses imagination. 
Gildings Avhich art cannot imitate, shine in the smallest grain of sand : 
but especially in certain parts of insects; for example, on the head 
and eyes of a small fly : and we observe, in the structure of the 
most insignificant animated beings, the most exact symmetry, and the 
most admirable order. In a word, we find millions of creatures so 
small, that the eye cannot perceive them without the assistance of a 
glass, as well organized, perfect in their kinds, and as well calculated 
to accomplish the different designs of the Creator, as the great ani 
mals with which the earth is peopled. 

Considerations such as these, should give us a lively sense of our 
own littleness. We are lost in this innumerable multitude of the crea- 
tures of God, which would be sufficient to attest his grandeur, though 
ourselves, and millions more of our fellow-creatures, were deprived 
of existence. O Almighty God, how immense istheextentof thy do- 
minion ! In all the elements are found creatures, which thou hast 
formed, and which thou preservest. Every grain of sand is a habita- 
tion for insects, which are also in the class of thy creatures, and which 
form links of an immeasurable chain. Here our ideas are lost in in- 
finitude. The more we meditate on the grandeur and diversity of 
thy works, the more we feel the limits of our understanding. We 
may add number to number, and not be able fo find a sum which shall 
compromise the amount of thy creatures. It is impossible for us to 
determine it. Probably the power to comprehend these, is the lot 
of angelic beings only. Our business is to adore thee the Creator 
and Preserver of all things ! 



MAY XXIV. 

SPRING IS A PICTURE OF THE FRAILTY OF HUMAN LIFE, AND AN EMBLEM 

OF DEATH. 

We need not go far in this season to seek for emblems of frailty and 
death ; they present themselves to us on all hands, being connected 
with almost all the beauties of nature. Undoubtedly the design of the 



MAY XXIV. 241 



Spring a picture of the frailty of life, and an emblem of death. 

Creator even in these, was to remind us of the inconstancy of terres- 
trial things ; and to repress that dangerous propensity which we have, 
to give up our affections to objects as empty as all those are which na- 
ture produces. Spring is the season in which the plants receive a new 
life ; and it is that also in which we see the greater part of them pe- 
rish. Serene as the days of spring may appear, they are suddenly ob- 
scured with clouds, showers and tempests. Sometimes the morning 
presents itself to us in all the splendour and majesty of its charms : 
afterward, before the sun has reached the meridian, the splendour 
which flattered us with the hope of a fine day disappears. At other 
times this hope is realized, and the days of spring shine forth in all their 
beauty. But how soon do these serene days pass away ! How rapid 
is their flight ! They vanish before we have fully enjoyed them. — 
And thus the most beautiful part of our life flies away, compared so 
often to the spring of nature. Often in the morning, every thing 
smiles on us, every thing promises joy and happiness; but before the 
evening comes, and even mid-day, we experience disagreeable mo- 
ments, and tears of sorrow are often wrung from our eyes. Let us 
look back on those years of our youth, which may be termed the spring 
of our life. O how short lived have the pleasures of our youth been ! 
Nothing could have been more diversified than the pleasures which 
we then enjoyed ; but where are now those happy moments, those tran- 
sitory joys ? What has become of our constant cheerfulness, and 
those roses of youth which ornamented our cheeks ? We find no lon- 
ger any taste for those noisy pleasures which then encompassed us. 
What then remains of those beetutiful days which are fled away? No- 
thing but a melancholy remembrance, if they have not been sanctified 
by being devoted to our Creator. 

With what energy does the spring preach to us the frailty, and the 
end of life ! See how far its beauties extend ! Behold how the trees 
are covered with blossoms ! But let us not exult too much in their 
splendid appearance : in a few days they will return to the dust, 
whence they came. All that brilliant race of flowers, so diversified in 
their forms and shades, must die in the same spring in which they 
were born. Thus our life vanishes away, and its longest duration 
may, in some sort, be compared to a day in spring. An unexpected 
death hurries us into the grave ; while that health and strength which 
we enjoyed, promised a long course of years. Often sickness and 
death come upon us the more certainly, as their snares were disguised 
with the charms of health and youth. We may view, in the flowers 
of spring, an emblem of our own frailty, and thus address them : " O 
ye, who are adorned with such charms, the honour of our gardens, the 
glory of our vallies, how transitory is your beauty ! But what a pic- 
ture I How instructive to me ! Thou Death ! which I carry in my 
bosom, speedily shall I feel thy stroke ! O rose, thou livest but a day ; 
and I may perish in a moment !" 

Though these thoughts should make us deeply serious, yet they 
should not rob us of those comforts which the Creator has dispensed 

31 



242 MAY XXIV. 



Spring a picture of the frailty of iife, and an emblem of death. 

to US in the spring of our life. The thought of death is very consis- 
tent with the enjoyment of every innocent pleasure. Far from bring- 
ing gloominess into our hearts, it may instruct us in the art of rejoi- 
cing constantly in the Lord ; and may preserve us from the abuse of 
terrestrial pleasures. It may inspire us with a desire of a solid and 
uninterrupted felicity. The beauties of the visible world will enable 
us to form an idea of the invisible and celestial world ; and when the 
time comes, in which we shall wither away like the flower of the field, 
we may say, with Christian fortitude, " Although my life, like a flow- 
er, fade and turn to dust ; although those cheeks where the roses of 
youth glowed, shall become a prey to corruption : I hope for a better 
life, which shall not be taken away from me ; and a body over which 
corruption shall have no power. Then shall I appear before thee, O 
my Divine Head ; full of ecstacy, I shall behold that glory which was 
the object of my faith ; for thou will satisfy me with eternal happiness. 
How blessed should I be, if Death, in breaking my chains, should this 
day put me in possession of this sovereign felicity !" 



MAY XXV. 

SPRING IS AN EMBLEM OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 

Most of the flowers which we now admire, were lately but coarse 
and shapeless roots ; but at present they are the ornament of the earth, 
and the delight of our eyes. What a beautiful emblem is this of the 
resurrection of the righteous, and the state of their revivified bodies ! 
As the roots of the most exquisite flowers, while buried in the 
earth, are without form and beauty, but when they flourish anew, are 
clothed with a thousand charms ; so the human body which while in 
the grave, is only an object of horror, shall experience a most asto- 
nishing change in the day of the resurrection : it was sown in weak- 
ness, it shall be raised in power; it was sown in dishonour, it shall be 
raised in glory. 

As soon as spring has succeeded winter, life and joy succeed {in the 
heart of man) those gloomy impressions which a severe season pro- 
duced ; and the first fine days of spring cause us to forget the gloomy 
days of a. long winter. Just so shall we forget, in the great day of the 
resurrection, all the melancholy and gloomy days of our past life. — 
Here, the clouds of affliction may cast a gloom on our countenance ; 
but, when the days of the new creation shall dawn, grief shall be no 
more : nothing shall be able to trouble the serenity of the soul — a hea- 
venly joy shall fill it forever ! 

Spring is the general renovation of the whole earth ; as dull as it 
appeared during the winter, so pleasing and delightful is its aspect 
now. ^ Every object pleases and delight us ; and we can scarcely help 
imagining, that we are transported, each spring, into a new and more 
Joyous dwelling. Thus in the day of the resurrection, we shall find 



MAY XXV. 243 



Spring an emblem of the resurrection of the body. 

ourselves transported into a new, magnificent, and delig-htful habita- 
tion. The new heaven and the new earth will be freed from all the 
apparent or real defects of this globe which we now inhabit. Peace, 
order, beauty, and righteousness, shall render our future abode the 
most happy that we can possibly conceive. 

When the warm rays of the sun have penetrated the earth, thou- 
sands of plants and flowers, of different kinds, proceed from its bosom. 
In like manner shall it be on the great day, when thousands cf gene- 
rations shall arise from the dust in which they have been buried. As 
the flowers of spring arise from their seed, full of beauty and splen- 
dour : so the body of the Christian, which has been deposited in the 
earth, shall one day arise, encompassed with glory, and clothed with 
celestial beauty. 

Spring is the epoch of vegetation for gra3s, flowers, and plants of all 
sorts. Then every thing that begins to sprout above the surface of 
the earth unfolds itself more and more* every day, and visibly increa- 
ses. Thus the day of the resurrection shall be to the immortal spirit 
of the Christian, the epoch of that unlimited progress which he shall 
make in goodness : then, no weakness, no obstacle shall prevent him 
from proceeding, in the paths of perfection. He shall go on from 
strength to strength, from one degree of felicity to another. 

In the spring, all nature seems to arise out of sleep to praise its 
Author ; the accents of the inhabitants of the air unite in a universal 
hymn to glorify the Being who has formed them. Similar songs of 
joy shall resound in the day of their resurrection, from that world of 
God's chosen which he shall have again restored to life. 

With what ecstacy will the soul of the Christian be filled ! Let us 
compare the greater with the less ; if the earthly spring be so rich 
in ornaments, what shall the beauty be, what the happiness, of that 
spring-time of the new world ! 



MAY XXVI. 

THE ATTRACTIVE POWER OF BODIES. 

We often see two bodies approach each other, without being im- 
pelled by any external force. The motion which produces this effect, 
is called gravitation or attraction. It seems that the attractive power 
is one of the principal springs of nature. It is by virtue of this law, 
that fluids ascend in capillary tubes : and it is partly owing to this that 
the sap ascends in plants, and the blood and other juices circulate in 
animals. It is true, that the expansive power of the air contributes 
its part, at least in plants ; as a portion of air is found in the fluid by 
which they are nourished. Plants are provided also with air vessels, 
which imbibe the external air, and this contributes to the ascent of the 
sap : but attraction is doubtless the principal cause of this phenome- 
non. Every person knows, that the human body is a series of capil- 



244 MAY XXVI. 



The attractive power of bodies. 



lary tubes, in which the various humours are in continual motion : and 
this motion is partly regulated according to the laws of attraction. A 
multitude of phenomena, which are observed in the corporeal world, 
have this attractive power for their principle ; and it is by this that 
the motion of the celestial bodies can be most satisfactorily explained. 
These enormous globes, separated from each other by immense inter- 
vals, must be united by some secret bond, in order to form such a 
grand whole as our solar system. It is generally granted that the 
union of the celestial bodies, their direction, the law which prevents 
them from deviating from their prescribed path ; the motion of the 
planets and comets round the sun, all depend on the attractive power 
of the sun ; and the gravitation of these bodies towards him. What 
admirable wisdom is this, which, by means of the same law, produces 
vegetation in the smallest spire of grass, and the motion of the whole 
system of the universe ! 

These reflections may lead ns to glorify the supreme wisdom. If 
it manifests itself in the celestial bodies, it is equalUy visible in the 
government of rational creatures. The Creator acts, in this respect, 
according to principles equally wise, after the same laws, accomplish- 
ing every thing with the most astonishing simplicity. But we are so 
blind that we do not observe this, because we generally suppose that 
those things only which have the appearance of pomp and splendour, 
are worthy of our attention. But why should we not acknowledge, 
in things which appear to us of little importance, the traces of di- 
vine wisdom which are so evidently impressed upon them ? When 
cities or countries are ruined by earthquakes, overwhelmed by water, 
or destroyed by fire, we are generally attentive, and see that such 
revolutions are the work of the Ruler of the world ; and are con- 
strained to acknowledge his wise providence. 

But should extraordinary events onl}^, remind us of the wisdom, 
holiness, and justice of God? What! does not the grandeur of the 
Supreme Being discover itself as well in the smallest blade of grass, 
and in the meanest insect, as in the motion and harmony of the 
spheres? Yes, in the small, as well as in the great, God manifests the 
glory of his attributes. It is through inattention or negligence that 
we do not perceive this every where ; even in the smallest beings, 
and in the most trivial events. To be convinced of the wisdom and 
goodness which reigns in the empire of Providence, we have no occa- 
sion to go to very distant objects. We need only dwell on what re- 
lates to ourselves, and to the particular dispensations of Providence 
in our own behalf. Our life, and the events by which it has been 
distinguished, may teach us how wise the means were which he has 
chosen to promote our happiness ; how many little circumstances his 
providence has combined to effect this purpose ; and how numerous 
the means are which he -employs to preserve us from evils, or to pro- 
cure us blessings ! 



MAY XXVll. 245 



Complaints relative to inconveniencies in the lawa of nature. 

MAY XXVII. 

COMPLAINTS OF MEN RELATIVE TO CERTAIN INCONVENIENCIES IN THE 
LAWS OF NATURE. 

" Why is the human body, from its constitution, subject to so 
many infirmities and accidents ?" Let him who asks this question say, 
whether it be possible to imagine a body that unites more advantages 
than that which he has received from his Creator ? It is inconsistent 
with nature, and the connexions of things below, that man should be 
provided with an invulnerable body. If one of our fellow-creatures 
be deformed, another lame, a third deaf or dumb, is this a reason why 
we should murmur against God ? Are those defects so common, that 
we have room to complain of them ? Ye who are disposed to mur- 
mur, answer these questions : and if ye still think you have a right 
to complain, reflect on the following truths. 

It is necessary to men in general to have some proofs of those de- 
fects, to which the human body is liable. For, as soon as a healthy 
and well-formed person compares himself with one who is crooked 
and deformed, he perceives the advantage of having well formed 
limbs, and learns how to esteem a blessing w^hich till then he had not 
properly considered, and is taught to take more care of its preserva- 
tion. How valuable is each eye, each ear, each organ of sense, each 
joint, each limb ; if we only pay attention to the small number of 
those who are deprived of them ! Would any of us take the greatest 
treasure in exchange for one of our limbs ? Are not our bodies more 
beautiful and regular than the best constructed building, or the most 
curiously wrought machine ? And though those be far inferior to our 
bodies, we are far from supposing that their composition was the 
effect of chance. 

" Why do some countries differ so much from others ; sometimes 
cold, sometimes wet; sometimes low, sometimes high?" O man, if 
thou hadst power to form a globe, where every thing should contri- 
bute to the welfare of men and animals, could thy wisdom furnish a 
plan more excellent than that on which our own is formed ? It is in 
consequence of their diversity that the countries of the earth pro- 
duce those exhalations, and variety of winds, which constitute that 
mixture of air, which experience shows us is best calculated for the 
health and comfort of men and animals ; and for the propagation and 
growth of plants. 

" But is it not incontestable, that the variations of the weather are 
not advantageous to all men, and to all countries ? But has not the 
preceding weather influenced the following, as the temperature of one 
country often influences that of another ? Have we a right to judge 
of the whole ? Should a thousand farmers sigh in vain for a shower, 
because drought would agree better with the particular arrangements 
of one housewife ? There may be a state of the air which may occa- 
sion a temporary barrenness here or there ; but can we term that an 



246 MAY XXVII. 



Gomplaints relative to inconveniencies in the laws of nature. 

evil, which is necessary to prevent a corruption of the atmosphere ? 
Should an east wind (which is favourable to a whole country) cease 
to blow, because its violence may wreck some vessel, or be injurious 
to some consumptive people ? Is it reasonable, when we cannot com- 
prehend the whole, to attempt to blame, or find out imperfections in a 
part ? 

" Bui, why are there so many noxious animals ?" Does the objector 
think that there should be no rapacious animals, great or small, upon 
earth? Know this, that it is precisely these beasts of prey which 
restrain the number of these animals, which would otherwise become 
burdensome to us. And, it is because many animals serve for food to 
beasts of prey, that their number increases annually. If ravenous 
beasts did not exist, the dead bodies of animals on which they feed, 
far from being useful to living creatures, would become injurious. 
All the animals thus devoured, are replaced by others ; and in almost 
every case population is regulated by the means of subsistence : 
hence gnats, and other insects, would soon lack support, if the animals 
which feed on them did not prevent them from multiplying too fast. 

" How comes it, that the Creator has regulated the course of na- 
ture by such invariable laws ?" It is by means of this very arrange- 
ment, that man, assisted by labour, and guided by experience, can 
use his understanding and strength ; and thus become, in a certain 
sense, the artificer of his own well-being. Could we wish to dwell in 
a world where, when hungry, we should only need to desire food, in 
order to be satisfied ? Or, where garments should fall from the clouds, 
when, travelling in a cold night, we had neglected to provide any ? 
Or where we could, at pleasure, without using any means, walk 
spmetimes on land, sometimes on the water, and sometimes in the 
air ? Where the stomach would never be overloaded with aliments ; 
where the axe should swim in the water into w^hich it accidentally 
fell , where bodies departing from their natural direction, should de- 
scribe an oblique line, lest they should hurt any person by their fall ? 
Would we wish to dwell in a world, where we should have no need 
of activity, where we could contribute nothing to the multiplication 
of our pleasures ; where there should be no rule, no fundamental 
law ; or finally, where the best, the bad, and the worst, being equally 
unknown, nothing could render us attentive to the laws of nature ? 

Doubtless, there will ever be a number of things in nature, the 
purposes of which, and the relation they have to the whole, must re- 
main hidden from us. We may find some, which to our limited un- 
4erstanding, may appear contradictory, and ill adapted to the plan of 
the Deity : but in all such cases, let r*> adhere to this principle : God 
does all for wise and beneficent purposes. And when these enigmas, 
these inexplicable things, present themselves to us, let us say with the 
apostle, O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of 
God ! His judgments are incomprehensible, and his ways past finding 
out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ; and who hath 
been his counsellor? For of him, and by him, and for him, are all 



MAY XXVII. 247 



Complaints relative to inconveniencies in the laws of nature. 

tliings : and to him be glory forever and ever ! Amen. Rom. xi. 33, 
34, 36, 



MAY XXVIII. 

SINS TO WHICH WE ARE PARTICULARLY PRONE IN THE SPRING. 

Is it possible that we can profane, by sin, a season which is especially 
made to animate us to the practice of piety ? Would it not be natural 
to suppose, that in these days of spring, every field should be to us 
a temple in which we should offer a thousand sacrifices of praise and 
thanksgiving ; where every thought, sentiment, and act, should be re- 
ferred to the glory of our Creator ? But alas ! we daily see that men 
are ungrateful towards their heavenly Benefactor. They see nature 
renewed ; they see the flowers, and a thousand other delightful objects, 
without thinking of Him who made all these things ', or if they do 
think of God, they forget to return him thanks for the wonders of his 
goodness. This vice of ingratitude particularly prevails at this season : 
and is often the fruitful source of many others. 

Man seems to be the only creature on the earth who is not sensible 
of his happiness ; although he alone has the power to reflect upon it, 
in all its extent. Insensible and ungrateful soul, to thee I address 
myself at this time. But, there is much reason to fear, that thou wilt 
pay little attention to me, who art inattentive to that God who speaks 
to thee in nature with a voice so energetic and intelligible. But, is it 
possible that thou shouldst forget thy Creator ? All his works mani- 
fest him ; and thou canst neither know thyself nor the world in which 
thou livest, if thou knowest not thy God. Every creature reminds 
thee of its Author : every place in his vast dominion of nature 
is full of the Deity. He manifests himself in every blade of grass ; 
in every flower, and in every bird. He constantly borrov/s the sweet 
and persuasive language of nature, and addresses himself to thy 
senses, thy reason, thy conscience, and to each of thy faculties. 
Only listen to this language, and thou wilt probably become sensible 
and grateful. 

How is it that thou employest these fine days of spring ? It is right 
that thou shouldst leave thy chamber where thou hast been hitherto 
shut up, that thou shouldst breathe the balmy air ; that thou shouldst 
go and visit the fields and gardens in order to contemplate the beau- 
ties of the season : but take heed not to abuse it, by giving way to 
sinful and extravagant pleasures, which lead in their train indolence 
and repentance. Thou never canst truly enjoy this fine season, till 
thy attention, being fixed on the works of thy Creator, thy reason 
shall discover his Divine power and goodness in them : then thy heart 
shall experience joys infinitely superior to the pleasures of those 
who forget the God that formed them. Why wilt thou seek those 
pleasures which offend God, and wound thy conscience ? Here plea.^ 



248 MAY XXVin. 



Sins to which we are prone in the spring. 

sures are found : and to enable thee to enjoy them, thou hast received 
thy senses, and art endowed with reason and sensibility. 

Let us now turn our attention to those persons who, in this season 
of the year, are apt to give way to anxious cares and fears, lest they 
should not find sufficient means of subsistence. O ye of little faith ! 
you deserved some indulgence, when in the depth of winter, pressed 
by many wants ye fell into sadness and anxiety : but at this time it is 
an unpardonable diffidence to fear the lack of support. Consider the 
grass, the flowers of the field, and the blossoms which cover the 
trees. Why has God caused the seed to spring out of the earth ? 
Why has he adorned it with so many flowers ? For whose advantages 
is it that lie has caused every animal to find its nourishment ? Weak 
and timid souls, be strong, and put your confidence in your heavenly 
Father. Spring is the season of hope : let it gain admission into 
your hearts : and if any uneasiness should happen to glide in, cast 
your eyes upon the fields and meadows, and remember the words of 
your Redeemer : " If God so clothe the grass of the field, if he feed 
the fowls of the air : how much more will he nourish thee, O thou of 
little faith !" 

Let us then employ this pleasing part of the year in contemplating 
the wonderful works of God. Let the pleasures which nature deals 
out so liberally at this time, excite us to rejoice in the inestimable 
privilege which we enjoy beyond millions of other creatures, of know- 
ing the Most High to be the author of all happiness. And, if we find 
any of our fellow-creatures fretful or negligent, let it be a mean of 
stirring us up to more gratitude and diligence, that we may be distin- 
guished from them by devotion and holiness. 



MAY XXIX. 

THE HARMONY AND PATRIOTISM OF BEES. 

Harmony and patriotism are, without contradiction, the founda- 
tion of that happiness, which, in a certain measure, is enjoyed by bees. 
At least it is evident, that their republic m.ust be immediately de- 
stroyed, if they did not live together in a state of union. We are 
informed by those who have communicated their discoveries on this 
subject, that when these insects return to their hives, laden with 
building materials for their cells, some of their companions are found 
constantly ready to ease them of their burdens. The travellers 
again begin their journeys ; and while they are collecting fresh mate- 
rials, the labourers who stay in the hive, knead together the little 
parcels which the others have brought, and reduce the whole into a 
mass proper for building. Others who are not immediately employed 
in building, are busy in rendering kind offices to the labourers, and 
bring them food, that the work may go on without interruption, and 
that they, in the mean time, may want nothing. This harmony nearly 



MAY XXIX. 249 



Harmony and patriotism of bees. 



resembles the patriotism, which is also observable among the bees. 
The riches of the state are the riches of each citizen ; and this nu- 
merous republic consists only of one family. Here there is no per- 
sonal interest, no avarice, and consequently no rapine. Here, no 
troop of bees ever unite to do violence to, or fight against their fel- 
low-citizens. Here no bee is ever found desiring superfluity, while 
another wants necessaries : nor do they ever strive to acquire more 
honey, when tliey have laid up a sufficiency of provision for the 
winter. 

We may well learn from these insects, however despicable they 
may appear in our eyes, those virtues on which the quiet and happi- 
ness of our lives depend. In whatever state or condition we may be 
found, it is necessary that we should, in the true spirit of patriotism, 
act in concert with our fellow-creatures. The society in which we 
live, Christianity, and our own happiness, require this. Let us cheer- 
fully^'bear our part of the general burden ; and if it be necessary, let us 
take up the burden of another, who, through ignorance or weakness, 
is found deficient. And when religion, duty, and conscience, require 
us to make great sacrifices for our brethren, let us never consider this 
as a loss, but rather an honour, that we are capable of labouring 
with more zeal and success than others. Let the vile principle of 
selfishness never be found in our hearts. They are despicable mem- 
bers of society, who endeavour to enrich themselves at the expense 
of another : and appropriate to themselves alone the treasures of 
their country. When we can in any way contribute to the general 
good, let not the fear of being unrewarded prevent us. Are not 
eternal blessings, and the testimony of a good conscience, a sufficient 
recompense ? 

It is, however, but too true, that among the evils of this life which 
we bring upon ourselves, this may be reckoned one ; that perfect 
harmony in characters and sentiments does not prevail. But even this 
may lead us to admire the wise providence of God, who notwith- 
standing the disunion and the disorder that reign in the world ; not- 
withstanding the self-interest which governs mankind ; still supports 
society, and renders it flourishing. When a pilot so steers his ves- 
sel as to shun the sandbanks against which the waves would dash him, 
it is then that I admire his skill and experience. And when I see, 
notwithstanding the wickedness of men, in the midst of the storms of 
their passions, that the dominion of wisdom and virtue is still preser- 
ved ; I admire the infinite wisdom of Him who governs the world. 
How happy shall that new world be, to which I steer my course ! 
WTiat harmony shall reign in the hearts of its inhabitants ! I shall 
bless the moment that shall introduce me into those mansions of 
felicity. 

32 



250 MAY XXX. 



Number of plants on tlie earth. 



MAY XXX. 

THE PRODIGIOUS NUMBER OF PLANTS ON THE EARTH. 

More than 20,000 different plants have already been found out, 
and new ones are daily discovered. By the assistance of the miscro- 
scope, some have been found, where they were least to be expected. 
Mosses and sponges have been classed among vegetables, and have 
presented to the eyes of the naturalist, seeds and flowers before un- 
known. Freestone is often covered with brown and blackish spots ; 
the same is seen on the best polished glass. This mouldy substance 
attaches itself to almost every thing; it is a garden, a field, a forest 
in miniature, where the plants notwithstanding their extreme small- 
iiess, have visible seeds and flowers. If we reflect on the quantity of 
moss which covers even the hardest stones, and the most barren 
places ; on the abundance of herbs which is seen on the face of the 
earth ; on the different kinds of fine scented flowers ; on all the trees 
and bushes, each of which may be considered as an assemblage of a 
thousand different vegetables : if we add aquatic plants to the number, 
the fineness of which equals a hair, most of which are unknown to 
us, we may, in some measure, form an idea of the multitude of plants 
which grow upon our globe. 

What is most wonderful in this is, that all these different species 
of plants are preserved without one destroying the other. To pre^ 
vent this, the Sovereign of nature has assigned a place to every spe- 
cies of vegetables analagous to its peculiar properties. He has dis- 
tributed them over the face of the earth with so much wisdom, that 
no place is destitute of them ; while, on the other hand, none has too 
great an abundance. Hence, some plants require the open field, 
where they are exposed to the sun, not being able to subsist in the 
shade: others cannot thrive but in the water ; and here the different 
qualities of the fluid matter occasion great varieties. Some plants 
grow in the sand, others in marshes and fens, which are from time to 
lime covered with water. Certain vegetables bud on the surface 
of the earth, others unfold themselves in its bosom. 

The different strata which compose the bed of earth, sand, clay 
chalk, &c., have each their peculiar vegetables : hence it is, that in 
the vast garden of nature, there is no place absolutely barren : from 
the finest dust to the hardest rock ; from the torrid to the frozen 
zone, each soil, each climate supports plants peculiar to itself. 

Let us attend to another circumstance, highly worthy of our admi^- 
ration : the Creator has so regulated matters, that among this immense 
variety of plants, those which are most proper for food or medicine, 
either to man or beast, grow in greater abundance than those which 
are of less utility, Herbs, both in their genera and species, are 
abundantly more numerous than trees and brambles. There is more 
grass than oaks, more cherry-trees than apricots ; more mne-stocks than 
rose-bushes. It is evident that the Creator, by this arrangement, has 



MAY XXX. 251 



Number of plants on the earth. 



provided for the general good. To be convinced of this, let us sup- 
pose the fact to have been the reverse : that there had been more oaks 
than grass, more trees than herbs and roots, what difficulty must ani- 
mals have had to subsist, and how many of its charms, and how much 
of its variety, must the surface of the earth have lost ! 

Almighty, omniscient, and infinitely good Being ! here also I ac- 
knowledge the wonders of thy providence. It requires no effort of 
mind to comprehend that thou art great and good : we have only to 
contemplate the widely extended vegetable kingdom ta be convinced 
of this. 

In these beautiful days of spring, let us excite our souls at the sight 
of so many vegetables which cover the earth, to glorify the power and 
goodness of our Creator. Wherever we go we walk on plants and 
flowers ; and as far as we can extend our view, we discover fields 
and meadows covered with the rich blessings of heaven. If each spire 
of grass were capable of praising its Author, how many reiterated 
millions of hymns should arise to Him out of even the narrow com- 
pass of one meadow ! But, ye beautiful productions of the vegeta- 
ble kingdom, ye have no need of language ; your inimitable dress, 
your immense number, and the advantages which ye afford the earth, 
sufficiently proclaim the goodness of the Creator : and your appear- 
ance is sufficient to induce us to approach him with heart and voice. 
Yes, even by you I feel myself drawn to present a sacrifice of thanks- 
giving to our common Creator. Lovely creatures, continue to flour- 
ish ! I shall often contemplate your excellencies : and I hope never to 
do it without a sense of gratitude to my God. 



MAY XXXI. 

THE PLURALITY OF WORLDS. 

It is not so much through ignorance, as through self-love and pride, 
that we give the appellation of habitable world, to one of the smallest 
parts of the universe ; persuading ourselves, that our globe alone is 
peopled ; that the sun was made only to communicate light and heat 
to us : that the moon and all the stars have no other destination than 
to brighten our nights, and to point out the road to travellers. The 
contemplation of the fixed stars is sufiicient to overthrow this ridicu- 
lous opinion. The sparkling appearance demonstrates that they 
shine by their own light : and seeing they are visible to us notwith- 
standing their immense distance from our earth, the fair inference is, 
that they surpass even the sun himself in magnitude. Can we then 
conceive, that these celestial bodies, which are not luminous points, 
but great suns ; these bodies so numerous, and placed at such a dis- 
tance from our globe, should not have been destined for more excel- 
lent ends ? 

If they were only designed to serve as nocturnal lights to us, they 
could be of no use during the greater part of the year. The cloudy 



252 MAY XXXI. 



Plurality of worlds. 



atmosphere which often surrounds us, together with the short nights, 
which are bright enough without their assistance, would render them 
useless. Besides, the stars which we cannot perceive by the naked 
eye, because of their vast distance, would be absolutely superfluous ; 
and their supposed destination would be more completely accomplish- 
ed by a single star nearer to us, than by so many millions at such a 
distance. As we may apply the same mode of reasoning to the whole 
of that use which we make of the stars, whether for navigation or any 
other purpose, we must confess, that it would be utterly impossible for 
us to see the utility of so many suns, if no creatures beyond our globe 
profitted by their Irght and heat ; or if they themselves were not the 
abode of different beings. 

i This consequence will appear still more reasonable, if we consider 
our solar system more attentively. In one of our preceding discour- 
ses, we have seen that the moon, in many respects, resembles our 
earth : that in her, as well as on our globe, we discover continents and 
seas, mountains, vallies, islands, and gulfs. Such striking similitudes 
authorize us to admit others, and to conclude that in the moon there 
are minerals and vegetables, animals and rational creatures. The 
analogy between the moon and the other planets, lead us to extend 
the same conjectures to them : and as each fixed star has, according 
to all appearance, like our sun, its particular planets, so these planets 
undoubtedly resemble ours. — Thus, we see around us an innumerable 
multitude of worlds, each of which has its peculiar arrangement, laws, 
productions, and inhabitants. 

; How numerous are the works of our God ! How majestic is this 
starry heaven ! How great must the Creator of it be ! Millions of 
worlds proclaim his glory, and the intelligent beings which dwell in 
them, acknowledge and adore him who has formed them. What mo- 
tives to induce us to join those heavenly choirs, that his praises may 
resound from all parts of the universe ! Blessed prospect, which is 
opened before us into the eternal world, where we shall be able to 
know and comprehend the wonders of the universe ! AVhat shall our 
astonishment be, when we shall discover so many new objects, or such 
as we had at least but imperfectly known ! In what glory will the 
divine perfections appear, whose empire extends over such a multi- 
tude of worlds ; while many foolishly imagine this empire extends 
only to that little globe which we inhabit. What an unfailing source 
of various knowledge, and what abundant matter to glorify the Creator 
^.nd Governor of so many worlds ! 



MAY XXXI.* 

A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING. 

Celebrate the praises of the Lord, and adore him. Praise, exalt, 
and sing to the Creator of all things, all ye intelligent creatures ! How 
jnaarvellous is his power^ and how beautiful are his works ? 



MAY XXXI.=*<= 253 



A hymn of thanksgiving. 



How great is that power which has created heaven and all its 
hosts ! that heaven whose pomp and splendour announce the glory of 
the Parent of light and life ! The eye is never wearied with the ob- 
jects which it contemplates in the universe, for it always discovers 
new beauties. 

It is not for the eye only that God has created these pleasures ; the 
beauties of nature speak unto the soul, and overwhelm it with joy. 
With what art has the Creator varied these beings ? he refuses to one 
what he grants to another ; and yet all are wonderful ! 

man ! is there a blade of grass, a leaf, or a grain of dust which 
does not proclaim to thee the council of the strong God ? How rich 
is he in power and beneficence ! But alas ! how often does he find 
thee insensible ; thy eye turns aw^ay from his works, and thy heart 
acknowledges not his gifts ; 

But, seeing his creative hand has scattered life and beauty through 
all things ; is it not to exercise thy senses, thy reason, and thy heart ? 
Is it not for thee, that he has created, preserved, and adorned so 
m.any different beings ? 

Thy God has need of nothing : it is for thy happiness that he has 
adorned the creation with so many charms ; and that he has endued 
thee with a sensible and intelligent soul. Wouldst thou, O mortal ! 
renounce this happiness, and refuse to open thy soul to joy? 

why wilt thou seek happiness in that w^hich is false and deceitful I 
Turn thine eye to thy God ; from him thou mayest derive happiness : 
enjoy the blessings which he has prepared for thee : never shall re- 
pentance follow such pleasure ! 

It is himself who has kindled up the desire of happiness in thy 
heart : and created sources of pleasure for thee, that shall never run 
dry. Be attentive to his wonders. Seeing the omnipotence of the 
Creator is no other than beneficence, can any measure of happiness 
be wanting to the creature ? 

Yes, thy happiness is the grand end of his miracles. Let us taste 
and see that the Lord is good. If this world, which is only his foot- 
stool, shine with so many charms, how ravished shall we be with the 
beauty of his throne, and the majesty of God himself! 

Celebrate the praises of the Lord, and adore him. Praise, exalt, 
and sing to the Creator of all things, all ye intelligent creatures ! 
How marvellous is his power, and how beautiful are his works ! 



254 JUNE I. 



A hymn of praise to the Creator. 



JUNE. 



JUNE I. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE TO THE CREATOR. 

CREATOR, when in adoring thee I reflect on thy power, on the 
wisdom of thy ways, and on that love that watches over all that ex- 
ists ; filled with admiration, I know not how to praise thee worthily ; 
thee, my Creator, my Father, and my Lord. 

Whithersoever I turn my eyes, I perceive wonders in the works of 
thy hands. The heavens, and their splendour, exalt thee, O thou Al- 
mighty Being ! — 

Who has suspended the sun in the ether ? Who has called the 
stars by their name ? Who has prescribed to the wind that measure 
of power which directs its blowing ? Who has commanded the clouds 
to let the rain fall upon the earth ? Who opens the bosom of the 
earth, and renders it fertile in blessings ? — It is thou, O thou strong 
God, thou God of majesty, whose goodness reaches unto the heavens. 

Thou restrainest the fury of the waves; the thunder obeys thy 
voice ; thou clothest the trees with smiling verdure, whose tops fur- 
nish us with a pleasing shade ; and it is thou who multipliest their 
shoots. Thou supportest the mountains that they fall not down; thou 
hast suspended the earth upon nothing, and thou guidest it by thy 
hand. 

The brightness of the sun, the darkness of the night, and the vio- 
lence of the tempest, proclaim thy grandeur. All nature invites me 
to glorify thee : the sand of the sea, the smallest worm, the high 
mountain, the low valley, and the verdure by which it is ornamented 
all cry out, Give glory to the Creator ! 

How innumerable are thy works, O God of strength ! How great 
art thou even in the smallest objects ! The animal that cannot be seen 
by the naked eye, has flesh, bones, and nerves : by thee it exists, and 
its existence is to it a blessing, till the moment thou shalt command an 
atom to destroy it. 

Man is thy image upon earth : 0, how can he be sufficiently grate- 
ful for such a favour ! Man, his soul, his senses, his different organs, 
his all — are a series of wonders ! Capable of being united to thee on 
earth by the bond of faith : appointed to penetrate one degree further 
into thy essence ! formed for eternal life ! 

Hallelujah ! Hallelujah ! the Son of God has redeemed me on Cal- 
vary ; he has procured me an everlasting life ! astonishing privilege ! 
May faith and hope daily increase in me, that I may even now bring 
forth the fruits of wisdom and love ! 

Exalt him without end, O my soul exalt his name ! Let thy hea- 
venly Father be glorified : and may the universe unite with me to 



JUNE I. 255 



A hymn of praise to the Creator. 



praise him ! Let the whole earth fear the Lord ; and let all that have 
understanding trust in his name, and serve him with fervour ! Who is 
he that can refuse to pay homage to our God ! 



JUNE I.^ 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORKS OF NATURE AND ART. 

When we compare the works of nature with those of art, we find 
that the former have a decided superiority over the latter. — The bare 
consideration that the works of art are only an imitation of those of 
nature, will put this truth out of doubt. Every artist, wishes to ap- 
proach nature as near as possible : and only exults when he finds he 
has, in some sort, attained this end; though in reality he has fallen far 
short of it. He is not able to invent ; and all that he does is only an 
imitation of nature. 'Nature is rich and various; art is poor and uni- 
form. In the extensive kingdom of nature, we find an inexhaustible 
treasure : even one of its parts, a stone, a plant, or an animal, pre- 
sents us with so many things worthy of our observation, that when we 
examine the smallest particle with the utmost exactness, we cannot 
discover the slightest imperfection. The works of art are, on the 
contrary soon exhausted. If we examine them with a critical nicety, 
we soon lose the admiration which their beauties at first view excited, 
and discover faults and imperfections which we had not before sus- 
pected. What are the most celebrated statues, in comparison of a 
single animal, an insect, or a worm ? Nature is able of herself to 
produce the greatest masterpieces ; whereas art borrows from her all 
that it has, which can be called beautiful^ having nothing of its own. 
Nature has the first claim on every thing art possesses. 

Add to this, that works of art are far less durable than those of 
nature. After the former have been long destroyed, the latter con- 
tinue in all their primitive beauty. But, what advantages have the 
works of nature in their internal construction over those which pro- 
ceed from the hands of men ! Let us only compare the most ingenious 
machine with the mechanism of animals, and we shall be struck with 
astonishment at the wonders of God in nature, while the masterpiece 
of art will appear like a child's plaything. Let a man consider him- 
self, with attention : the perfect and regular structure of his muscles 
and arteries ; the wonderful circulation of the blood in his veins, the 
number and variety of the motions of his members : and what proofs 
do they afford of the magnificence of the Creator's works, in com- 
parison of which the most perfect works of man are trifling and im- 
perfect ! 

It would be easy to extend these observations, were not the little 
we have said sufficient to teach us how to appreciate the w-orks of 
nature. It is true, that our self-love leads us to prefer our own works 
to those of all others ; and our taste is so depraved, that we consider 



I 



256 JUNE I.* 



Difference between the works of nature and art. 



with indifference, and often with disdain, whatever human industry has 
not produced. Both these prove our ignorance and ingratitude. 
Would it not be very unjust to set less value on a watch, admirably 
executed by the hand of a great artist, than on a snow ball formed by 
the hand of a child ? In thus depriving the excellent workman of his 
due honour, should we not, at the same time, show our stupidity and 
folly ? This is exactly our case, when we do not properly appreciate 
the works of nature and art, and do not give them their due. How- 
ever, we should not despise the productions of art ; they have their 
value ; but it would be absurd to consider them as equal, and still more 
so, to prefer them to the works of nature, which are infinitely superior 
to them. 

Now, if God have given such perfection to his works, is it not that 
we should acknowledge his power, wisdom, and goodness in them, 
and render him that glory which is his due ? In order to fulfil this 
duty, let us carefully examine and contemplate nature ; and let us 
never forget the end that we should propose to ourselves in this re- 
search. Let the study of nature be our delight, seeing it may teach 
us to know more and more of the Creator and Governor of the 
world : and let us continually feel, and earnestly desire to be properly 
fitted for that place, in which we shall have a more perfect knowledge 
of his works than that which we can acquire in this lower world. 



JUNE II. 

fHE LEAVES OF TREES. 

Leaves, the ornament of trees, are one of the greatest beauties of 
nature. Our impatience to see them bud in the spring, and our joy 
when they appear, sufficiently show that we consider them the orna- 
ment of our gardens, fields and woods. How great is the pleasure 
which we enjoy in the scorching days of summer, by the refreshing 
coolness of their shade ! Yet this is but the least advantage which 
results to us from the leaves of trees. We have only to consider the 
wonderful structure of leaves, to be convinced that they are designed 
to serve more important purposes. Take the trouble only to examine 
the first you meet with. Every leaf has certain vessels, which being 
closely compressed at the end of the stalk, extend themselves like 
ribs on the anterior part of the leaf, and branch out in various ways. 
There is no leaf, which has not extremely fine vessels, and an asto- 
nishing number of pores. In a species of box, called the 'palma cere- 
ris, one hundred and seventy-tivo thousand pores have been counted on 
one side of a leaf ! In the open air, leaves turn their upper part to- 
wards the sky ; and the under towards the earth, or the interior part 
of the plant. To what purpose could this particular arrangement be, 
if leaves were of no other utility than to adorn the trees, and afford 
us a shade ? Certainly the Creator has something more important in 
view. 



256 



JUNE I.* 





»- 



JUNE II. 257 



The leaves of trees. 



The nutrition of plants is carried on particularly by the leaves. 
Their pores serve to imbibe humidity from the atmosphere ; and to 
communicate this to the whole plant. How much wisdom appears in 
this organization ! By this, plants, in the time of drought, do not run 
the risk of perishing for lack of moisture. They receive a vivifying 
dew in abundance, which, falling from the upper leaves, drops down 
on those below, so that nothing is lost of this nutritive juice. Many 
experiments prove that plants perspire much ; and the leaves are the 
instruments in this important work. They serve also to introduce 
into the plant a necessary measure of air : they appear also to contri- 
bute to the preservation of the blossom, which is to spring out the fol- 
lowing year ; for as the eye of the bud is found already under the leaf, 
doubtless it is protected and preserved by it ; as well as by the quan- 
tity of juice which is collected where the leaf is joined to the planti 
Hence it is, that many trees dry up and wither, when their leaves 
are stripped off. This often happens to the mulberry-tree, whose 
leaves are taken off to feed silk-worms. This also is the cause why 
grapes never arrive at maturity, when the vine has been stripped of 
its leaves in the summer. 

We may make another observation on this subject, which casts 
much light on the manner in which plants acquire their gradual 
growth. The lower surfajce of leaves, which is turned towards the 
earth, is always of a paler and less vivid colour, more rough and 
spongy than the superior surface. Here again we discover the wisest 
contrivance : the side of the leaf which is towards the earth has 
more asperities, and consequently, more pores, that it may the more 
effectually imbibe the dew, which is exhaled from the earth ; and 
afterward distribute it with more ease and abundance to the whole 
plant. The leaves, therefore, turn to that part whence they may 
derive the greater quantity of this nutritive juice. Hence it is also 
that the leaves of certain plants hang very low. If we observe the 
trees which grow on a steep mountain, we shall find that the leaves 
do not take a horizontal direction, but a perpendicular one. This 
shows that the leaves direct themselves to that quarter whence they 
may receive most nourishment. 

This meditation gives us another opportunity to admire the wisdom 
of God. We may henceforth consider the leaves of trees in another 
point of view than we have hitherto done. When we knew not the 
inimitable art used in their construction ; nor the important ends of 
their existence ; it is no wonder that we considered them wdth a ne- 
gligent and indifferent eye. But now, when we understand that each 
leaf is a masterpiece of divine wisdom, and an organ of fertility, it 
would be unpardonable to see the leaves of trees without paying par- 
ticular attention to them : and the following reflections may naturally 
spring from the subject : — Every object, even the smallest in nature, 
has been arranged by the wisdom of the Creator. There is not even 
a smgle leaf useless, or which only serves for the ornament of the 
garden ; each contributes its part to the fertility and support of the 



258 JUNE II. 



The leaves of trees. 



vegetable kingdom. Now, seeing each leaf is a masterpiece of the 
power of God, what wonders does a single leaf present to our eyes. 
All the faculties of my soul are not sufficient to comprehend one of 
these wonders, and the smallest leaf may afford me matter for medi- 
tation as long as I breathe. 



JUNE III. 

THE VIVIFYING POWER OF THE SUN. 

I myself feel this vivifying influence. As soon as the sun rises 
over my head, serenity and joy are diffused through my soul. Th6 
light and heat of this luminary communicates that cheerfulness and 
activity which I so much need to enable me to fulfil the duties of my 
vocation, and to enjoy social life. That involuntary gloom and indo- 
lence, which rendered me so inactive during the winter, are dissipated 
by little and little. I respire with ease, and labour with more plea- 
sure. And how can it be otherwise, seeing I am a witness of the 
universal joy which the sun communicates to the world, and discover 
every where his reviving power ? He animates and revives all crea- 
tures by his benign influences. Millions of shining insects awake, 
collect themselves, and sport in his rays. 

Birds salute him with their melodious concerts : all that breathe 
rejoice at his appearance. Even inanimate creatures experience his 
cheering influence : every where we perceive blessed effects pro- 
duced by him. He causes the sap to ascend in the tubes of trees 
plants, and vegetables ; he causes the leaves to spring out. He forms 
the fruits, gives them their tints, and brings them to maturity. He 
spreads light and life through nature. He is the source of that heat 
which is found in animals ; and without which they would sink into 
insensibility and death. The influence of the sun not only appears 
on the surface of the globe ; but also in the caves and bowels of the 
earth, where it gives life to anim.als, and produces metals. He pene- 
trates even the highest mountains, though composed of stones and 
rocks. He darts his influence even into the depths of the ocean, 
where he acts in a variety of ways. 

When we reflect on these salutary effects of the sun it is very 
natural to think on the miserable state in which our globe must be 
found, if deprived of the light and warmth of this celestial body; 
without him, what would our globe be but a dull and lifeless mass; 
without order, and without beauty ? The trees could not put forth 
their leaves ; nor the plants their flowers. The meadows would be 
without verdure ; and the fields without crops. All nature would as- 
sume a gloomy and mournful aspect. Is not this a striking picture of 
the state in which the earth would be found, were it deprived of the 
vivifying grace of Christ? Had he not, by his doctrine, diffused light 
and consolation through the world, we should have all lain buried in 



JUNE III. 250 



The vivifying power of the sun. 



the night of ignorance and despair. If his powerful grace do not 
animate us, can we bring forth the fruits of righteousness and piety ? 
The tares of vice would spring up every where, without obstacle, and 
choke all the seeds of virtue. Where could we have found hope, 
consolation, and happiness, if Jesus had not procured them for us by 
his blessed advent ? Sitting in the valley of the shadow of death, and 
laden with chains, we should have groaned in vain for deliverance : 
neither cure nor comfort could have been elsewhere procured. 
How just is it then, that our hearts should expand -with the purest 
jo}^, and exult wdth triumph, when we reflect on the precious blessings 
purchased for us by the Sun of Righteousness ! If the Creator of that 
luminary which presides over the day, were not my reconciled Father, 
I could not contemplate the natural sun with that transport which I 
now feel, in consequence of knowing that Jesus Christ has made my 
peace with God. 

The sun in his vivifying influence is an emblem of a Christian, 
whom genuine love inspires. He also spreads joy and blessings 
around him. By him the weak are strengthened, the afllicted com- 
forted, the ignorant instructed, and the poor relieved. May wei 
henceforth resemble this loving, beneficent man ! Let us, in that sphere 
in which we are placed, scatter among our brethren the blessings with 
which Providence has favoured us. Without self-interest, and with- 
out partiality, let us extend the hand of succour to all those who are 
in need. Let us instruct, comfort, nourish, and support all we can* 
Thus, we shall leave this world loved and regretted by our brethren ; 
and those that remain shall call us Uessed. 



JUNE IV. 

THE DESIRES OF THE SOUL ARE INFINITE. 

Let us employ a few moments in reflecting on ourselves. Oar 
soul has undoubtedly the first claim to our attention : it concerns us 
more than any thing else ; and should be more dear than all those 
objects which give us pleasure at this season. Whatever satisfaction 
we may find in meditating upon the corporeal world, is not to be com- 
pared to what we may feel in meditating on the nature and faculties 
of our souls. The contemplation of earthly objects, which the tra- 
veller meets with on his way, is doubtless pleasing to him ; because he 
requires recreation and amusement in his pilgrimage : but that of 
spiritual objects leads directly to that blessed immortality which genu- 
ine Christians expect in the world to come. Let us sometimes reflect 
on the desires which God has impressed upon our souls. Experience 
proves, that our thirst for knowledge can never be fully satisfied : as 
soon as we have made any discovery, we thirst after new information. 
Our desires are never satisfied : and when we have enjoyed what w^e 
most earnestly desired, we begin immediately to form new wishes. 



260 JUNE IV. 



The desires of the soul are infinite. 



The desire of receiving greater and more numerous blessings accom- 
panies us through life ; and subsists even in that moment when we 
are taking our leave of this world. 

What conclusion should we draw from this ? Without doubt, we 
may infer, that as our desires extend always into futurity, without 
being ever fully gratified, there must be other blessings after death, 
seeing our desires exceed the limits of this lix^e. Therefore we are 
not designed for this transient life only, but for one that is permanent 
and eternal. Can we then suppose, that man should be the only 
creature upon earth endowed with desires and faculties which can 
never be gratified? If man have an instinct which is never to be 
satisfied, he may be considered as even below the beasts that perish. 
When a beast hungers or thirsts, he in general finds means to supply 
his necessities. We see the silkworm spin its cone, and shut itself up 
in it for its transformation ; this would not take place were there not 
another state in which it is to appear in a new form. Birds lay eggs ; 
would this happen were not these eggs designed for the preservation 
of their species, or that of other creatures ? If then our existence 
were to be shut up within the narrow bounds of this life, why should 
we have inclinations and desires which can never be satisfied here 
below? Why should we have faculties which can never be of any 
use to us ? — No. Our heavenly Father could never have endued our 
souls with these infinite desires to no purpose, much less to make them 
our tormentors. 

Being of beings ! my soul is capable of knowing thee, and of loving 
thee above all things. It aspires to become like unto thee, and to be 
reunited to thee for ever : it can rise above every thing that is ter- 
restrial, and soar to thee : is it possible then, that this soul should be 
annihilated ? Were it to be so, in vain has it learnt to know and love 
thee, and to aspire after eternal communion with thee. For, how 
short do we fall of this enjoyment here below ! We know but in 
part : our love is weak and languid, and our enjoyment of thy grace 
is still imperfect. Certainly, it is impossible that all my happiness 
should consist only in this : surely, all the blessings which I possess 
upon earth, are only the pledges and forerunners of that infinite feli- 
city which awaits me after death. 

This explains and reconciles every thing; and I see clearly into my 
future destination. I now see, that it is not in vain that I wish to 
grow in wisdom and holiness, and to come nearer and nearer to God, 
the source, original, and model of all perfection. I know now, that 
all the happiness which I could not enjoy here below, or which I 
have enjoyed only for a short time, shall be my eternal lot, when I 
shall enter into that new state of existence. I am now certain that 
those blessed hours in which the love of God filled my whole heart, 
in which I felt the foretaste of celestial happiness, in which I so ar- 
dently aspired after my utmost perfection, were not vain and fruitless ; 
I am now going on to perfection, and I shall arrive at it. I raise my 
heart to God; and though it often falls short, yet I know I am getting 



JUNE IV. 261 



The desires of the soul are infinite. 



nearer to him : I thirst for the living God: and shall, by and by, ar- 
rive in that place of happiness where I shall always behold his face. 
No holy propensity, no pure desire, no faculty of my soul, is useless. 
All shall be satisfied, realized, and fully employed in a blessed eter- 
nity. 

Let us rejoice then, in the immortality of our souls. Though we 
may appear far from this happiness while in this world ; yet, as it is 
certain, we should rejoice in it: God himself has impressed the idea 
of eternity upon our minds. Let us not stop at visible, but go on to 
invisible things. In the midst of all the pleasures which we enjoy- 
here below ; all the hopes which relieve and animate us ; and all the 
blessings which fall to our lot ; let us aspire after those pleasures, 
those hopes, those inexpressible blessings, which are reserved for us 
in a better world. Let us employ those noble faculties of our souls 
to ascend to heaven ; it is for this end we have received them. Our 
souls have been created and redeemed for immortality ; let us there- 
fore guard against the seductions of sense, and not permit our infinite 
desires to be hurried in transitory things, utterly unworthy of them. 
In the moderate enjoyment of earthly good we should be grateful : 
and from it we may and ought to draw this comfortable conclusion : 
" If we have now so much pleasure and comfort, what abundance 
shall we enjoy when united to the Lord in the world of spirits ! If he 
be so magnificent in his gifts here below ; what must he be in the 
kingdom of heaven !" 



JUNE V. 

THE UTILITY OF RIVERS. 

When we calculate the space which rivers occupy, we find they 
take up a large part of the globe. Some are discontented with this 
arrangement, and imagine that it would be more advantageous, if there 
were fewer rivers, and Tnore solid land. But, if they only considered 
with what wisdom and proportion the Creator has arranged every- 
thing on our globe ; they would conclude, that rivers have not been 
distributed on the earth without the wisest intentions, and manifest 
utility to man and other creatures. 

First, we may observe, that river-water furnishes a very wholesome 
drink for men. Spring, or pump-water, when it has continued a long 
time under the earth without motion, detaches and carries along with 
it portions of matter which may be injurious to our bodies : but river- 
water, which is constantly evaporating, and always in motion, purges 
itself from all impurities, and becomes, in consequence, the most salu- 
brious drink, both for man and beast. But the usefulness of rivers 
extends much further. Is it not to them that we owe the neatness, 
the salubrity, and the comfort of onr dwellings, as well as the fertility 
of our fields ? Our habitations are always unhealthy, when surround 



262 JUNE V. 



Utility of rivers. 



ed with marshes or stagnant waters ; and when the want of water 
produces a great drought, the smallest rivulet cools the air round 
about, and renders it extremely pleasant. It is the same in respect to 
the fertility of the land : this is commonly owing to the vicinity of 
rivers. What an astonishing difference is there between a country 
watered by rivers, and one to which nature has denied this blessing ! 
The one is a dry barren desert ; the other is, on the contrary, a gar- 
den of delights, where the woods, vallies, meadows, and fields, present 
a thousand beauties, and the most pleasing variety. The winding 
river is the cause of all the difference between these two countries : 
it carries refreshment, prosperity, and plenty, wherever it goes. It 
not only waters the roots of plarits ; but fertilizes the earth by its 
inundations, and continual evaporations. And who can be so inatten- 
tive, or rather, so ungrateful, as not to acknowledge how useful 
rivers are to whole countries and provinces, seeing that from them 
we daily derive innumerable advantages ? How could commerce be 
conveniently carried on, if we could not, through the medium of 
rivers, receive merchandise, and necessary provision from the most 
distant countries ? Of how many mills and different machines must 
we be deprived, if they were not put in motion by rivers ? And, of 
how many kinds of delicate fish must we be wholly destitute, if 
rivers did not furnish them in such abundance ? 

But it may be said, were there no rivers, we should be preserved 
from those inundations which sometimes do so much damage. I grant, 
that when they overflow their banks, they may produce much havoc 
and devastation in flat, level countries : but is this inconvenience such 
as to prevent rivers from being a blessing of Providence ? Are not 
the innumerable advantages which we derive from them far superior 
to the mischief which they may sometimes occasion ? Inundations 
happen but seldom ; and extend only over a small tract of country. 
Besides, whatever ravages they may cause in the inundated countries, 
they ultimately produce much good even in them, by enriching and 
fertilizing the land : and even these things, to an attentive mind, are a 
proof, that while God appears to chastise with one hand, he dispenses 
blessings with the other. 

Thus then, rivers and streams should convince us of that Divine 
goodness which extends over all the earth. We may see that every 
part of nature, that all the elements, concur to render us happy, and 
to procure us a thousand conveniences. If only one of these provi- 
dential blessings failed us, that privation would destroy a great part 
of our happiness. If there were no rivers, there could be no fertility ; 
and the earth itself would become a heap of barren sand. What in- 
numerable multitudes of creatures, which can neither live on the earth 
nor in the air, must immediately perish, if the powerful hand which 
created the rivers were to dry them up ! What praise and thanks- 
givings are due to that bountiful Being who has produced our rivers and 
streams ! As often as we enjoy the advantages which these afford, 
may we bless the name of the Lord, who is the bestower of all ffood ! 



JUNE VI. 263 



Variety of flowers. 



JUNE VI. 

VARIETY OF FLOWERS. 

We cannot but be struck with astonishment, when we consider the 
prodigious number of flowers produced in spring, summer, and autumn : 
but the variety is still more astonishing than even the prodigious nuwher. 
Certainly, nothing less than unlimited power could produce such a 
number of creatures : but that power must have been united with 
infinite wisdom to have produced such variety. If flowers perfectly 
resembled each other in their structure, form, size, and tints ; that 
uniformity would fatigue our senses : or, if the summer produced no 
other flowers than those brought forth by spring, we should soon be 
weary of contemplating them ; and of bestowing on them that care and 
cultivation which they require. 

It is therefore a proof of the Divine goodness, that the productions 
of the vegetable kingdom are so pleasingly diversified ; and that such 
a variety of new charms is always added to their perfections. This 
diversity does not extend merely to whole families in the kingdom of 
plants, but also to individuals. The pink is different from the rose ; 
the rose from the tuli-p, the tuliy from the auricula ; and the auri' 
cvla from the lily : but each pink, rose, tulip, lily and auricula, has 
its distinct characteristic ; and its peculiar beauties and varieties. 
Every one has something peculiar to itself. In every bed of tulips, 
in every rose-bush, there is scarcely a flower that has not some di- 
versity either in the structure, size, or assemblage of colours. Two 
flowers cannot be met with, the form and shades of which are per- 
fectly alike. All have their different ornaments, though of the sairiQ 
species. 

Take a view of all the flowers which fill the beds of a parterre; 
some are of an extraordinary size, and seem to reign over all the rest ; 
others are of a middling size. Some carry their stately tops above 
the heads of men ; others creep on the earth. Some have the most 
splendid colours ; others are simple in their ornaments, and make no 
show. Some perfume the air with the most exquisite odours ; while 
others only please the sight with their beautiful and well arranged 
colours. The variety of flowers are not less multiplied with respect 
to the different seasons. In spring, when men leave the city to con- 
template the productions which the bountiful Creator has caused to 
spring out of the earth for their support, they see the blossoms of 
the trees in all their pomp, and in all their beauty. Towards summer, 
when the attention is particularly drawn to the soAvn ground, thou- 
sands of flowers present to his eye the most pleasing sight. The 
different species succeed each other in a fixed, regular order. When 
the winter comes, it brings other plants, which, though they may not 
please the eye, have nevertheless, their particular use. If we go over 
the whole scale of vegetables, we shall ever find new and greater 
varieties. How great a difference, and how many links, do we find 



264 JUNE VI. 



Variety of flowers. 



between the grass which grows among stones, and that excellent 
plant which affords us the best nourishment, and without which we 
could not well live. What a difference is there between the plants 
which creep and twine about others ; such as the weak ivy, and feeble 
vine, whose grapes afford us such delicious drink ! What difference 
between trees from the haivtkorn to the oak ! 

With what wisdom has God arranged all his works I This is the 
most natural conclusion I can draw from these reflections. With 
what astonishing wisdom and perfection has the whole plan of the 
vegetable kingdom been executed ? In all his works the useful and 
the agreeable have been united. For it was not merely to please our 
sight that he has formed plants so astonishingly different from each 
other. There is no month of the year that is not marked with the 
Divine goodness. Each of these gifts affords our senses new plea- 
sures, and our hearts new motives to extol his tender love. If the 
proofs of the Divine bounty were more uniform, we should be more 
excusable for our inattention ; but seeing they are so varied, we are 
absolutely inexcusable if we behold them with indifference. Shall 
we any longer render ourselves guilty of an insensibility so criminal? 
Let us in the presence of the magnificent spectacle of creation, en- 
compassed as we are with thousands of creatures which the Almighty 
Being has formed, adore him with the most profound veneration and 
respect ! In considering the amazing varieties in the vegetable king- 
dom, which can we admire most, the wisdom, or the goodness of God ? 
Both surpass our comprehension, because they are infinite. Hence- 
forth, let us not behold the diversified beauties of plants and flowers, 
without adoring our Creator, and exclaiming, How great must thy 
wisdom, power, and goodness be, O thou Most High God ! 



JUNE VII. 

THE UTILITY OF VENOMOUS PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 

Every thing on earth, considered separately, is good and whole- 
some ; and if any thing be found noxious, it is because we make a 
bad use of it ; or employ it in a different way to what it was de- 
signed. Hence it is, that the food which supports the life of one ani- 
mal, is death to another : and that the same plant which in certain 
circumstances, is considered as poisonous, in others is very useful 
and salutary. For example ; hemlock was formerly considered as a 
mortal poison : but a multitude of experiments have lately proved 
that admirable cures may be effected by it. The number and variety 
of vegetables which grow upon the earth is prodigious ; but we must 
not imagine that they were all created for the use of man. 

Some plants are designed for beasts ; others furnish us with cloth- 
ing and ornaments : some please our taste and smell : multitudes are 
medicinal : and would be of the utmost service in a variety of diseases 



JUNE VII. 265 



The utility of venomous plants and animals. 



to which men and animals are subject, if they were not adulterated. 
The same thing may be said of many living creatures ; which, though 
they may be very dangerous to lis, are very useful to other animals, 
either as food or medicine. Birds in general feed on such insects as 
are commonly reputed noxious. Domestic fowls swallow spiders 
eagerly ; and peacocks and storks feed upon all kinds of serpents. If 
we also consider how many excellent remedies are composed of the 
most venomous herbs ; nothing can be easier than to vindicate the 
wisdom and goodness of God, in the formation of creatures, which 
answer so many purposes. 

The following reflections will cast still more li^ht upon this subject. 
The number of noxious plants and animals is nothing in comparison of 
that multitude which are manifestly of the utmost utility. Besides, 
God has planted an instinct, both in men and animals, which induces 
them to avoid whatever might be prejudicial to them. Mischievous 
beasts dread man ; and scarcely ever use their natural arms against 
him, unless they are attacked, or irritated. But this is not all ; the 
most noxious animals have evident marks and characteristics, by 
which their dangerous properties are easily known ; so that being 
apprized of the danger, we may prevent or sliun it. The rattlesnake, 
which is the most dangerous of the whole genus of serpents, gives 
information of its own approach, by the noise made with the rings of 
its tail. The crocodile is very aukward in his motions ; and cannot 
turn but with difficulty ; hence it is easy to escape him. Add to 
all this, that the Divine goodness has so ordered matters, that the 
most dangerous and venomous animals furnish the remedy for their 
own poison. Thus, the oil of the scorpion is an infallible remed}^ 
against its stings. A hee bruised, and rubbed on the part, cures the 
wound it has made ; and the fat of vipers is an excellent remedy 
against their bites. 

But it may be said. It would be better were there neither noxious 
plants nor animals upon the earth. Such a thought only shows our 
ignorance and selfishness. If God has formed a creature which may 
injure another, it is for the wisest reasons : and from this arrange- 
ment considerable advantages result. Many creatures which appear 
noxious, are not so in effect, or only in certain re.spects. Their poi- 
son, and the organs which they make use of to inflict wounds, are ab- 
solutely necessary for themselves. One example may serve for all 
the rest. The bee causes pain by its sting ; but take away its sting, 
and the bee is useless. It is the same throughout all nature ; that 
which appears noxious, is of real and indispensable use. And why 
has man the presumption to determine on what is useful or injurious 
m nature ? Who can assert that it is contrary to the wisdom of God 
that we should at any time feel pain ? Do not the most disagreeable 
things often afford us the greatest advantages ? In general it is certain 
that natural thinirs are only accidentally injurious ; and if we at any 
: them, we may almost constantly attribute it 



time receive damage by them, we may 
to our own imprudence. 

34 



266 JUNE VIII. 



The effluvia of flowers. 



JUNE VIII. 

THE ODOUR OR EFFLUVIA OF FLOWERS. 

A THOUSAND pleasing objects every wJiere surround me. Every 
thing I see, every thing I hear, all the sensations which smelling or 
tasting can produce, contribute to my well-being, and augment my 
comforts. Every thing in nature combines, in these beautiful days, to 
penetrate my heart with the sweetest and purest delight, and to lead 
me unto God. Yes, my Creator, every object which presents itself to 
my imagination, and every blessing thou hast given me to enjoy, in- 
vite me to ascend unto thyself. Each blossom is a proof of thy power, 
the impress of thy being, and a hymn to thy goodness. 

But let us confine ourselves at present to the pleasure which we 
receive from the agreeable and diversified odour of flowers. It 
would have been a very evident proof of the Divine goodness, to have 
pleased the eye alone by that wonderful variety which appears in the 
vegetable kingdom : but God has added the sweetness of the scent to 
the other charms of flowers. These odours are as various as the flow- 
ers themselves ; and though it is impossible to determine in what this 
difference consists, yet we perceive it, when we pass from one flower 
to another. 

It is also remarkable, that the smell is not too strong to aflect the 
head, or injure the olfactory nerves ; nor too weak to prevent its plea- 
sing effects. The particles which emanate from flowers, are so ex- 
ceedingly fine and light, and become so greatly diffused, that they can 
produce no inconvenience. The effluvia from a single grain of amber 
can perfume a room twenty feet square, and fifteen high. The smell 
of the rosemary, which grows in Provence, is perceived at sea at 
tv/enty leagues distance. 

But how is it that vapours which are exhaled from plants can so 
easily reach the olfactory nerves ? This must be partly attributed to 
the structure of the nose. It is composed of two cavities, separated by 
a partition. These two cavities, or nostrils, unite by degrees ; and 
terminate in one only, which reaches to the bottom of the throat, where 
it forms a communication with the mouth. All this cavity is lined 
with a membrane, which is a contexture of nerves. These all proceed 
from the brain, through a bone full of holes, which, on this account, is 
termed the os cribrosum, or sieve-like bone. The nostrils being wide 
at the bottom, and contracting gradually towards the top ; the odorific 
particles are accumulated towards the top, when the air is drawn in 
through the nose ; and consequently the nerves are more powerfully 
affected by them. 

By these means we can receive the impression of even the weak- 
est odours. We may observe further, that Divine wisdom has 
formed bony plates, which stop the upper part of the nose, and have a 
two-fold use : 1. They prevent injurious substances from entering 
into the passages of respiration while we sleep : or when we are in- 



JUNE VIII. 267 



The effluvia of flowers. 



capable of guarding against them. 2. They receive and support the 
ramifications of the olfactory nerves, a great number of the branches 
and filaments of which are dispersed over those plates : and the nerves 
come every where in contact with the odorific particles which enter the 
nose with the air. 

Is it not right that we should bless our Creator, and give him 
thanks for these wise arrangements ? In this beautiful seasion, we 
may plainly perceive that the sense of smelling is a real blessing. 
Were we deprived of it, we should enjoy but one half of the beauties 
of the vegetable kingdom : but by the advantageous construction of our 
bodies, two of our senses, seeing and smelling, experience at the 
same time, the efTects of the Divine bounty. Are we duly sensible of, 
and deeply affected by this kindness ? When we receive the pleasing 
smell of a pink or a rose, we should reflect on the beneficence 
of the Lord, who has in this also provided for our happiness. While 
we walk through this atmosphere of pleasant perfumes, let us lift up 
our hearts to our heavenly Benefactor — to him who has command- 
ed the flowers to diffuse their balsamic odours, and to him who has 
so wisely established the mode in which we receive so many pleasing 
impressions. May we not receive lessons of wisdom from these odo- 
riferous flowers ; which may have considerable influence on our hap- 
piness ? Do they not teach us how glorious it is to diffuse around us 
the odour of good works ; and to join mental beauty to personal ac- 
complishments ? 



JUNE IX. 

THE MULTITUDE OF ANIMALS. 

Naturalists, who have taken the trouble to calculate the gross 
number of animals on our globe, have found ^OMi four hundred thou- 
sand species. Great as this number may appear, it is far from being 
exaggerated. There is reason to suppose, that in the known parts of 
the earth, there are more than 450 different kinds of land animals, 600 
of birds, more than 2000 of fish with scales : more than 3000 of shell- 
fish : and more than 20,000 different species of insects which the 
naked eye can discover. The insects which belong to the different 
species of animals, and which amount at least to 100,000 species, are not 
reckoned in this number. Besides, there is an innumerable multitude 
of insects which are entirely unknown to us ; we may presume not 
less than 200,000. But, what shall we say of those innumerable tribes 
of insects, which live only on plants. Eighteen thousand different 
kinds of plants have already been described ; now suppose we allov/ 
only four species of animals to a plant, we shall find the number 
amount to 72,000 ! 

Such a number of animals living on our globe, will doubtless ap- 
pear prodigious ; but we shall not find it too great, if we believe with 



JUNE IX. 



The multitude of animals. 



some naturalists, that the whole immense empire of nature is filled 
with animated beings. 

Very eminent physicians have maintained, that those disorders which 
are accompanied with blotches and pustules, and even some kinds of 
fever, are occasioned by animalculae. It is very likely that the atmos- 
phere is often peopled with animals, the extreme smallness of which 
prevents them from being discovered. And who can tell, but that 
tremulous motion which is observed in the air in the summer days, 
may be occasioned by millions of animals that throng in it ? Let us 
take the first flower that falls in our way ; for example, a daisy or rose, 
and we shall discover a whole republic of insects, whose form and va- 
rious motions will amuse us. Is there the smallest corner in nature, 
where living creatures are not to be found ? Nature has produced 
animals even in others : she has designed that one animal should be- 
come a world where others should find their subsistence. The air, the 
juices of plants and animals, putrid matter, excrements, dung, dry 
wood, and even the hardest stones, have a kind of vitality, and serve 
as dwellings for living creatures. 

The sea itself seems to be an element composed of animals. The 
light which is observed on it in the summer nights, is owing to an in- 
numerable multitude of little luminous worms ; the particles of which, 
detached from their bodies and corrupted, continue to shine as the ani- 
mal did when alive. Multitudes of animalculae which the eye cannot 
count, sport in the rays of the sun. And all these innumerable inha- 
bitants of our little globe, are infinitely diversified in their form, or- 
gans, members, faculties, and motions. Endeavour, man, to name 
all those animals. Endeavour to express, in numbers, the individuals 
only, of a single species. Endeavour to calculate how many herrings, 
flies, worms, birds, &c., there are. How could you do it? their num- 
ber is unknown to you ; and though you could know it, it would be 
impossible for you to express it by figures. 

Here we see abundant reason to admire the infinite power of our 
Creator. Himself alone has produced this amazing multitude of crea- 
tures ; himself alone preserves and supports them. Let us consider 
how much food such a number of creatures must require. If they 
lived only at each other's expense, if they destroyed each other, na- 
ture could present us with nothing but a frightful spectacle of murder 
and carnage. But happily, there is but a small number of carnivo- 
rous animals ; and thsy are very useful, because they devour dead car- 
casses, and thus prevent infection ; and because they preserve a kind 
of balance, by preventing the different species from multiplying too 
fast. Besides, the Creator has wisely designed, that the vegetable 
kingdom should afford nourishment for all the other animals ; and he 
has assigned to almost every species of beasts a particular sort of 
plant. That all the different kind of animals might findnourishnient 
proportioned to their numbers, he has assigned them their habitations 
in different countries of the globe. How exactly also has he measured 
the ground ! One tree is greater than several thousand of plants ; 



JUNE IX, 269 



The multitude of animals. 



and yet it occupies only a surface of a few square feet : and a multi- 
tude of quadrupeds, birds, and insects dwell there, and are nourish- 
ed by it. What concern has the Creator manifested for animals, in 
surrounding- them with a fluid matter suitable to their respective na- 
tures ! Two sorts of fluids are designed for these creatures ; the one 
air, the other loater. All living creatures are distributed through 
these two elements, except a few amphibious animals, which live 
partly in both The bottom of these two fluids, is the habitation of 
one part of these animals : such as reptiles, and the greater part of 
the quadrupeds, in the upper fluid : and zoophites, cockles, corals, 
muscles, &c., in the lower. Others have the power of ascending or 
descending at pleasure, in the element in which they live : in the 
air, birds and insects : in the water, whales, and most other fish. 

And does the Atheist say in his heart, There is no God .? Fool ! 
go and ask the beasts of the field, and they will teach thee, that He 
is ; ask the fowls of the air, and they will declare him unto thee : 
speak to the reptiles of the earth, and they shall show him : and the 
fish of the sea shall manifest him ; Do they not all proclaim : " We 
are all the work of an almighty hand !" 



JUNE X. 

IMMENSITY OF THE FIRMAMENT. 

Approach, O man, and contemplate the firmament. Consider 
that multitude of lamps which illuminate thy nights. Endeavour to 
count them : thy feeble sight is incapable of doing it : and thy eyes 
lose themselves in the multitude of stars. Well, then, take thy te- 
lescope, and fortify thy eyes with this additional strength. What dost 
thou now discover ? To the former millions, new millions of worlds 
are added ! Continue thy observations, and endeavour to count the 
stars which thou hast discovered. Thy ideas are confounded : — thou 
seest that no numbers can express this immense multitude. 

It is true, that for many ages, men have endeavoured to ascertain 
the number of the stars ; but the discoveries which have been made 
in the heavens since the invention of telescopes sufficiently demon- 
strate that the number of the heavenly bodies cannot be determined. 
To count the stars is an enterprise as impossible, as to number the 
grains of sand on the sea shore. Before the invention of telescopes, 
no such number of stars could have been seen as have since been 
discovered. One of the most ancient astronomers reckoned only 
1026 stars, and this catalogue was afterward increased to 1088. But 
the observations made since, by means of telescopes, have vastly increa- 
sed the number ; and proved that it is impossible to discover the whole. 

Those instruments have shown us that the long luminous tract 
which encompasses the whole sky, and is called the Milky Way, is 
composed of an innumerable multitude of stars. We know also, that 



270 JUNE X. 



Immensity of the firmament. 



in those places where formerly we beheld but a single star, we now 
discover many with the assistance of even a middling telescope. By 
these instruments we have discovered in two constellations alone, 
twice the number of stars which were before seen in the whole hea- 
vens. How much are our ideas of the extent of the heavens enlarg- 
ed by these means ! 

But, if other discoveries already made, have increased our admira- 
tion at the immensity of the Divine power ; what must it be, if wg 
consider what vast bodies these stars must be ; seeing that notwith- 
standing their prodigious distance, we can discover many of them with 
the naked eye. Exact calculations, on which we may depend, teach us, 
that a cannon-ball, shot from one of the nearest fixed stars, would 
be more than seven hundred thousand years before it could reach our 
globe. And yet the greatest astronomers agree, that even these num- 
bers do not express the apparent distance of one of the fixed stars 
from our earth. 

Some of these globes appear to us larger than others, because they 
are nearer to us : and it is on this account that we call them stars of 
ihe first magnitude. Those nearest to them, stars of the second mag- 
nitude ; because, being much further off than the former, they appear 
less, and they must be as far from the former as they are from us. 
Those of the third magnitude, must be three times further ; those of 
XhQ fourth, four times further off" from the first than the first are from 
us ; and so on. Let us suppose that there are only twenty of these 
different orders, and it will follow, that the diameter of the universe 
is so great, that a cannon-ball could not traverse it in twenty-four 
million of years ! The distance of the fixed stars is too great to be 
computed. It has been conjectured that Sirius, probably the nearest 
to us of all the fixed stars, is distant from the earth not less than 
32,000,000,000,000, of miles ! which is further than a cannon-ball 
would fly in seven millions of years ! 

King of heaven ! Sovereign Ruler of worlds ! Father of angels 
and men ! that my ideas were as vast and sublime as the extent of 
the heavens, that I might worthily contemplate thy magnificence ! 
O that I could raise them to those innumerable worlds, where thou 
dost manifest thy glory even more than on our globe ; that as I walk 
at present from flower to flower, I might then go from star to star, 
till I came to the august sanctuary where thou sittest upon the throne 
of thy glory ! But my wishes are useless, as long as I am but a tra- 
veller on this globe. I cannot fully know the beauty and magnitude 
of these celestial worlds, till my soul be freed from this gross body. 
In expectation of this, as long as I shall live, I will lift up my voice, 
and invite men to celebrate the glory of the Lord. 

" Jehovah is omnipotent, and infinitely good ; he commands the 
stars, and they obey his voice, and run the race which his finger has 
marked out for them. He knows their numbers, and calls them by 
their names. Filled with the most profound veneration, let us pros- 
trate ourselves, and adore the Lord. Let us celebrate the magnificent 



JUNE X. 271 



Immensity of the firmament. 



works which his hands have formed. — Who can comprehend the glory 
of the Most High ? Who can form any adequate conceptions of the 
unlimited power and unbounded wisdom of the great I AM !" 



JUNE XI. 

PECULIARITIES OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 

The ditference between animals is so great, that at first view it ap- 
pears difficult to find any similitude between them and plants. Some 
creatures live only in water ; others on the earth, or in the air : and 
some live either on the land or in the water indifferently. This is 
literally the case with vegetables. There are plants which live only 
in earth ; others only in water ; others which can bear no moisture ; 
others which live equally either in earth or water ; and some are 
found which live in the air. 

There is a tree in the island of Japan, which, contrary to the nature 
of all other trees, to which humidity is necessary, cannot bear it. As 
soon as it is watered it perishes ; and the only way to save it in such 
a case, from entire destruction, is to cut the root, dry it in the sun, and 
plant it afterward in a dry and sandy soil. There is a species of 
7nuskroo7)i, some mosses, and other small plants, which float in the air : 
but, what is most extraordinary, a branch of rosemary, which was put 
into the hand of a dead person (according to the custom of some coun- 
tries,) took root, and extended its branches to the right and left, that at 
the end of some years, w^hen the grave w^as opened, it had covered the 
whole face of the dead person with its leaves ! 

The vegetation of the truffle is still more singular. This extra- 
ordinary production has neither roots, stem, leaves, blossoms, nor even 
any visible seeds. It draws its nourishment through the pores of its 
rind. But, how is it produced ? And whence comes it that generally 
there is no other kind of herb in the places where this species of 
mushroom grows ; and that the land is light and full of chinks ? This 
has never been well explained. 

There is no plant which can be more fitly compared to amphibi- 
ous animals, than that species of membraneous moss which is termed 
the nostoch. It is an irregular body, a little transparent, and of a pale 
green colour : it trembles when it is touched, and easily breaks. It 
cannot be seen but after rain. It is then found in many places, but 
especially in uncultivated land, and on sandy roads. This plant may 
be seen in all seasons, even in the winter ; but it is never so abun- 
dant as in summer after rain. The most remarkable thing in it is, its 
speedy growth. It is formed almost in a moment ; for when, in sum- 
mer, walking in a garden, not a trace of it is seen ; if there suddenly 
come a shower of rain, and the same place is visited one hour after- 
ward, the whole walks are nearly covered with it. For a long time 
it was supposed that the Twstoch fell from the sky ; but at present it is 



272 JUNE XL 



Peculiarities of ttie vegetable kingdom. 



well known to be a leaf which attracts and imbibes a great deal of mois- 
ture. This leaf, which appears to have no root, is in its natural 
state when well impregnated with water : but a high wind or heat, 
causes the water gradually to evaporate in a few hours ; then the 
herb contracts, shrinks, and loses its colour and transparency. Hence 
it is, that it appears to grow so suddenly, and to be produced in a 
miraculous manner by a shower of rain, for when fresh rain falls upon 
it, though before dried and invisible, it is re-animated, and appears as 
at first. 

It would be easy to enlarge the list of plants considerably, which 
bear a resemblance to animals. Bat there are other singularities in 
the vegetable world which deserve to be noticed. The whole at- 
mosphere is full of plants, and invisible seeds. Even the largest seeds 
are dispersed by the wind over all the earth : and as soon as these 
seeds have been thus carried into places proper for them to grow in, 
they become plants ; and often so little soil is necessary for this pur- 
pose, that we are astonished when they derive that which is neoessary 
for their growth. There are large plants, and even trees, which take 
root and grow in the clefts of rocks, without the least earth. 

Vegetation is sometimes effected with inconceivable speed : this 
is exemplified in mushrooms, and in the common cresses, the seed of 
which, if put into w-et linen, becomes a sallad in twenty-four hours. 
There are plants which seem to have scarcely any degree of life, 
and yet continue to exist. We often sqb willows, not only hollow and 
rotten within, but the outer bark of which is so considerably damaged, 
that scarcely one eighth part remains ; all the stems, worthless as they 
may appear, bud in the spring, and shoot out into a multitude of bran- 
ches and leaves. How wonderful is it, that the nutritious juices of 
plants should not only be furnished by the roots, but also by the leaves, 
which attract, and in some sort pump in the air : and that there are 
plants, the tops of which become the roots, and the roots the tops, if 
inverted when planted. 

How surprising also is the great age, to which trees arrive ! There 
are apple trees, which must be above a thousand years of age ; and if 
we make a calculation in the gross, of the fruit which such a tree 
produces annually, we cannot but admire the fertility of a single 
pippin, which might have sufficed to furnish all Europe with trees 
and fruit of this kind. But we should never have done, should we 
trace this subject as far as it is possible. All is full of wonders : and 
every thing leads us to that infinitely perfect Being, whose omnipo- 
tence, conjoined with unlimited wisdom and goodness, is continually 
loading us with blessings and enjoyments, to furnish us with new 
subjects of admiration and praise. 

How ungrateful are we, not to reflect on the miracles of goodness 
which continually surround us ! Shall we neglect to bless and praise 
that God who does such great and admirable things before our eyes ! 
Shall we not sanctify the pleasures which the fields and gardens 
afford us, in contemplating the wonders of the Lord, in reflecting on 



JUNE XL 273 



Peculiaiities of the vegetable kingdom. 



them, and in ascending from the creature to the Creator, from the 
flower to him who has formed it ? "0 Lord ! how great and magnifi- 
cent are thy works I What wonders do they all present to my mind ! 
I contemplate them with astonishment ; I am lost in them ; — they sur- 
pass my comprehension ; I cannot fathom them. It is by thy com- 
mand that the grass grows, that the woods are clothed with verdure ; 
that the flowers scent and adorn the fields and gardens ; and that the 
trees lift up their tops to the clouds. The mountain cedars an- 
nounce thy glory: and proclaim that thou hast formed them. On 
whatever side I turn, new wonders strike my eyes. The fields, val- 
lies, mountains, rivers, and seas, all, from the atom to the highest 
sphere, are full of the goodness of the Lord." 



JUNE XII- 

MEANS OF HAPPINESS FOUND m NATURE. 

To be convinced that through all nature every thing tends to tne 
benefit of man, we have only to consider the intimate connexion and 
relation which subsists between ourselves and natural things. It is 
true, there are several substances of which, considered relatively to 
man, we do not see the use ; but we must not conclude from this, 
that they are really of no advantage. Many things appeared useless 
to our ancestors, which we find of the utmost utility ; and we may 
presume, that our posterity will discover many useful things of which 
we are now ignorant. Let us acknowledge in this the Divine wisdom : 
it has concealed the true use of many creatures from us, that we may 
be humble, and feel the limits of our knowledge ; and that our saga- 
city may be exercised, and be more and more excited to contemplate, 
his works. 

Many things in nature are useful to us only in an indirect way. — 
Several animals serve for nourishment to man ; and consequently all 
that is necessary to support those animals is useful to us. We see 
that a multitude of creatures serve to nourish others. Small fish are 
the food of large ones. Many birds live on insects and reptiles : and 
there are several species of them which live intirely by prey. In 
this the Divine wisdom is further manifested ; for if all animals were 
to be nourished by the produce of the fields, there would not be enough 
left for the support of man ; and what would then be the fruit of his 
labours ? 

I grant there are several creatures, which seem to have been for- 
med only to injure man ,• for example, venomous animals. Poison is 
so hurtful to the human body, that, in general, it occasions a grievous 
death ; and sometimes its effects are so speedy, that there is no time 
to apply antidotes. On this account, many animals appear in a dis- 
advantageous point of view : but if we consider them in another 

35 



274 JUNE XII. 



Means of happiness found in nature. 



light, we shall discover traces of the goodness of God, and have rea- 
son tc admire his wisdom. Physicians prepare many excellent me- 
dicines which are partly composed of poisonous substances. And 
carr we suppose that man would be more happy, if there were no 
venomous creatures upon the earth? Was not the very poison 
v/hich they carry, previously a part of those malignant vapours, 
which man could not have inspired without injury ? In a word, we 
may confidently assert, that there is nothing on earth really injurious 
to man, unless he himself make an improper use of it. 

But if in the formation of our globe, God has designed our happiness, 
are we not inexcusable when we thv/art his gracious designs, by put- 
ting obstacles in the way of our own felicity, instead of labouring with 
all our might to promote it ? God's designs towards us are merciful ; 
but we often render them useless, by a conduct which necessarily 
makes us unhappy. Let us become wiser in future ; and profit by 
the different means of happiness which God has so abundantly pro- 
vided us in the kingdom of nature. And as it is impossible for our 
desires to be completely satisfied with earthly things, let us have re- 
course to religion, which shall amply compensate us for any defects 
in nature ; and will explain to us a multitude of things which other- 
wise would appear obscure. Let us gratefully remember, and con- 
stantly celebrate the wisdom and goodness of God ; and prize the 
means which he has condescended to employ in order to lead us to 
felicity. 



JUNE XIII. 

th£ loadstone, or magnet. 

Of all the bodies in the mineral kingdom the loadstone is the most 
singular in its properties. It is a ferruginous stone, ordinarily of a 
dark gray colour ; and has the property of attracting iron. This 
virtue, however, is not equally diifused through the whole stone ; but 
resides chiefly in its two ends, which are termed its poles. When this 
stone is suspended from a thread, and left free, it constantly directs 
one pole to the north and the other to the south. This effect is 
invariably produced, however the stone may be moved, if at least left 
to itself. 

This constant and regular direction of the loadstone, (which is 
subject only to a very few variations in some particular parts of the 
globe,) has caused the point that tarns to the north to be called the 
north pole ; and the opposite point of the same axis, to be termed the 
S02cth "pole of the loadstone. These two properties, viz., to attract 
iron, and to point to the north, it communicates to iron, when rubbed 
against it. This discovery introduced the magnetic needle; an 
instrument essentially necessary to navigators in long voyages. This 
is another proof, that things which appear at first sight to be of little 



JUNE Xlli. 975 



The loadstone or magnet. 



importance, may become exceedingly useful lo the world ; and that in 
genera], the study and knowledge of the magnificent works of the 
Lord, are infinitely advantageous to the human mind. 

These properties of the loadstone, induced naturalists to examine 
it more closely ; not only to find out the cause of these surprising ef- 
fects, but also to discover other properties of this stone. They were 
more successful in the latter respect than in the former. They found 
that the loadstone did not in all placets point exactly to the north j but 
that it varied a little, sometimes to the east, sometimes to the west, 
sometimes more, sometimes less. It was observed also, that its at- 
tractive power acted with equal force, when any other body was put 
between it and the iron; which might be supposed to prevent this ef- 
fect. All metals, (iron excepted,) wood, glassj fire, water, men, and 
other animals, give free passage to the magnetic effluvia ; and do 
not prevent it from acting sensibly on iron. It has been discovered, 
that the north pole of one loadstone attracts the south pole of anoth- 
er ; while the north pole repels the north, and the south pole the 
south. It was supposed that the attractive power might be as equal- 
ly resident in the iron as in the loadstone, seeing it attracts as strongly 
as it is attracted. In order to be convinced of this, let a loadstone 
be suspended at one end of the beam of a balance ; and a weight 
equal to the loadstone be put at the other. When the beam is in equi- 
librio, and perfectly motionless, place a piece of iron under it, and the 
loadstone will be instantly attracted by the iron, and descend towards 
it. If the iron and loadstone be interchanged, the stone will attract 
the iron. 

However singular these phenomena may appear, which we have 
already remarked in the loadstone ; there is another circumstance 
which equally merits our attention ; it is this, that all the efforts, and 
all the sagacity of philosophers have not been able to discover the 
cause of these wonderful effects : notwithstanding all their labour 
and industry, the loadstone continues a mystery to the human mind. 
Should we then be surprised, that in religion, which is infinitely ele- 
vated above all the objects of our senses, there should be found mys- 
teries which we cannot comprehend here below, the perfect know- 
ledge of which is reserved far the coming world ? Is it to be won- 
dered at, that there should be found some matters in Divine revela- 
tion, the reason of which we cannot comprehend ; seeing that in na- 
tural things, which we daily see and handle, there are found such a 
variety of objects, which men of the most distinguished learning and 
ingenuity confess to be beyond the reach of their understanding ? 
There are, however, wise fools, who dare to doubt every thing in. 
religion, which they cannot comprehend. Were this consequence 
just, it would be more reasonable to say, " The loadstone does not 
attract iron ; it does not point towards the north : — all that has beea 
said concerning it is false : for we can neither explain nor compre- 
hend it." 



276 JUNE XIII. 



The loadstone, or magnet. 



When natural things are in question, we may say to such sceptics, 
co7ne and see : but the mysteries of religion are only to be seen by 
the eye of the mind. The soul alone can perceive them,; and it 
shall comprehend them perfectly, when it gets into the light of eter- 
nity. Let us patiently wait for this happy period : and, if we find 
both in nature and religion, things obscure and inexplicable, let us 
remember, that the imperfect state both of our bodies and souls, ren- 
ders it impossible for us to explain them in this world ; and let us 
remember also, that a considerable part of our felicity in the world 
to come, will consist in having a more perfect knowledge of every 
thing that can contribute to our happiness, and manifest the glorious 
attribute of the Supreme Being. " There, in the fountain of light 
we shall have a clear and distinct view of every thing that appeared 
obscure in this world. There, v/e shall discover the most admirable 
wisdom, in all that appeared defective to us here below. There, 
our souls, filled with gratitude and joy, shall see the whole, together 
with the different parts, connexions, relations, and marvellous har- 
mony of the works of God ! " 



JUNE XIV. 

eHERlllE53. 

Cherries are a fruit which, by their sweetness, tempered with a 
pleasing acidity, quench our thirst, allay the fever of the blood, oc- 
casioned by the heats of summer, and prevent that putrescency, to 
which the various humours are particularly disposed, during this 
season. In the first place, they quench thirst by their sharpness; 
which causes the salivary glands to contract ; they cool the parched 
tongue, and moisten the dry palate. This mode of quenching thirst, 
during the hot season, is preferable to those drinks, with which we 
overload our stomachs ; and which only tend to increase the perspi- 
ration, and augment the heat of the system. But, besides this pro- 
perty of quenching thirst in the most pleasing manner, they have a 
cooling quality, which moderates the heat of the blood ; and, accord- 
ing to some naturalists, calms that impetuosity of the animal spirits, 
which causing too great an agitation, affects and enfeebles the nerves. 
Thus, the wholesome juice of cherries, by its acidity and astringent 
virtue, cools us delightfully in the excessive heats ; prevents the blood 
from becoming too thin, thickens the fluids, and preserves them from 
putrefaction. 

With what goodness has the Creator provided fruit proper to each 
season ! In this hot month we need acid and cooling fruits ; and he 
furnishes them in abundance. He gives us fruits which are both plea- 
sant and wholesome ; so that while our taste is pleased, our health is 
promoted. He gives them also in such quantities, that the poor may 



JUNE XIV. 277 



Cherries. 



enjoy them as well as the rich. Let us, as often as we see a cher- 
ry-tree laden with fruit, make this consolatory reflection. How un- 
comfortable, must the lot of the labourer be, who earns his bread by 
the sweat of his brow, if to cool himself he required those delicious 
and expensive beverages, reserved for the great and rich; and 
W'hich it is out of his power to procure ! Merciful Father, thou for- 
gettest not the indigent, thou providest for their necessities ; thou con- 
descendest to refresh them with fruit which thy kind providence has 
placed within their reach; and which is as wholesome for them as 
the most delicious wine for the rich. What an abundance of acid and 
cooling fruits are in this season ! Our gooseberries, currants, cu- 
cumbers, stone fruits, and sallads, are so many pleasing preservatives 
of health. 

When we behold the fruit trees, and enjoy their fruits; let us ac- 
knowledge and bless the bounty of our Creator, and indulge those re- 
flections which naturally spring from the subject. The heavens and 
the earth, the elements, and all creatures concur to our well being. 
" On all sides we are encompassed with the blessings of our Heavenly 
Father. Animals, corn, vegetables, and fruits; in the vallies, on the 
mountains, in the forests, and in the seas, all minister to our pleasure 
and subsistence. The kind hand of God is ever open in our behalf." 
How great are the blessings w^hich God continually heaps upon us ! 
And how many incitements have we to lift up our hearts to him, and 
render him thanks for his mercies ! May we never more let any oc- 
casion of this kind slip by, without improving it I When we walk in 
the gardens, or in the fields ; w^hen our senses are regaled with the 
beauties and blessings of nature, let us think of him, who is the source 
of all good, and of all delight. Without God, (supposing even that 
we could exist independently of him,) w^e could not contemplate nature 
with so much ecstasy ; and were it not for his continual energ}^, even 
in the midst of abundance, we could neither quench our thirst, nor 
satisfy any of our desires. 



JUNE XV. 

THE WISDOM OBSERVABLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANIMAL BODIES. 

The formation of the animal body, furnishes the most convincing 
proofs of the divine wisdom : for as some animals must dwell chiefly 
in the air, others on the earth, and others in the waters, it was neces- 
sary that their structure should be conformed and appropriated to 
their place of residence, and their different modes of existence.— 
This God has done with such wisdom as cannot be sufficiently admired. 
Every thing is disposed precisely in that way, which the necessities 
cf each animal required: and had the construction of any one been 
at ail different from what it is, that creature must have suffered by it 
considerably, and could not have fulfilled the end for which it was 
created. 



278 JUNE XV. 



The wisdom observable in the construction of animal bodies. 

Birds of prey are provided with nails, strong claws, and sharp crook- 
ed beaks, that they may the more easily catch, and securely hold their 
prey. Those which are to seek their nourishment in marshy places, 
have need of long legs, and a long slender bill : and it was necessary, 
that those which live in the water, should have the lower part of the 
body, broad, a long neck, membranes connecting the toes, to serve 
as kind of oars, and a certain oiliness in their feathers, to enable them 
to glide along more smoothly. 

Insects that live on prey, have mouths shaped like pincers ; and those 
who are nourished by suckling, are provided with a sting or trunk. 
Why have hares and rabbits such protuberant eyes, but that they may 
the more easily see, and avoid the dangers and snares to which they 
are exposed ? Why are the eyes of the mole so small and deeply sunk 
in the head, but because it was designed to live under the ground, and 
consequently needed little light ; and because prominent eyes would 
incommode it, and hinder it from burrowing. 

Why ig the crystalline humour of the eyes of fish so spherical ; but 
to compensate for the great refraction of the rays of light ; where- 
as animals that live in the air, have their crystalline in a plano-convex- 
form ? Why is it that animals, whose eyes are moveable, have only 
two ; while on the contrary, those whose eyes are immoveable have 
many ? Why is it that animals which seek their prey by night, have 
a large and brilliant pupil ? Why is it that the eye of the hen answers 
the double purpose of a telescope or microscope ; but that she may 
be able to see the smallest seeds in the earth, and among the gravel : 
and that she may be able to discover birds of prey at a distance, which 
are coming to seize her young ? 

We cannot but be struck with astonishment, when we consider the 
vast apparatus of the organs of animals necessary to their different 
motions. What a multitude of limbs ! What pliability ! What ac- 
tivity I What a profusion of muscles, nerves, bones, and cartilages 
these various motions require ! Some animals move slowly, others 
swiftly. Some have two feet, others more ; some have both feet and 
wings; others neither. The quickness or slowness of the motion is 
always regulated according to the necessities of each animal. Those 
which are well armed, and have courage, strength, and skill, to defend 
themselves against their enemies, move more slowly than those which 
are deprived of these means of defence. Who gave to serpents, and 
other reptiles, the power to contract and distend their bodies ; to coil 
themselves into a circle, and to dart from place to place, so that they 
may the more easily seize their prey ? Who has so formed the fishy 
that by means of their air-bladder, they can ascend or descend in the 
water at pleasure ? Who has taught the snail to contract its body, 
and bring water into its little dwelling, when it wishes to fall on the 
ground ? 

What art is i;iianifest in the formation of birds, in every part of 
their bodies ; but particular in their wings ? How well is their 
bodies fitted for flight ! Small and sharp before, and gradually increa- 



JUNE XV. 279 



The wisdom observable in the construction of animal bodies. 

sing till they have acquired their proper size ; thus they are well 
adapted for cutting the air, and making themselves a passage through 
that element. The feathers are all arranged with exquisite art ; the 
one lying on the other in a regular order, to facilitate ^he motion of 
the body, and to serve at the same time for a covering against the 
severity of the cold, and bad weather. Although close and strongly 
braced together, they can extend, erect themselves, swell out, and 
acquire a larger bulk, according as the necessities of the bird may 
require. 

The icings, which are the great instruments of flying, are situated 
in the most proper place to hold the body exactly balanced in a fluid 
so subtile as the air. What admirable work do we find in each fea- 
ther ! The quill is extremely stiflf, and it is hollow towards the end ; 
which construction, renders it at once both strong and light. The 
beard of feathers is regularly arranged, narrow on one side, and 
broad on the other, which is of wonderful use in the progressive mo- 
tion of birds, as well as in the strong texture of the wings. AVhat 
proportion do we see in the manner in which the feathers are placed .! 
They are always placed in such an order, as exactly to agree with 
the length and strength of each feather ; and the larger serve for 
supports to the smaller. 

In the bony parts of the wings, what a multitude of joints are there 
which open, shut, and move as necessity requires ; whether for the 
extension of the wings, or to bring them close to the body ! AVhat 
extraordinary strength in the pectoral muscles, that the bird may pass 
through the air with the greater rapidity ! What incomparable art in 
the construction of the tail ; which serves as a helm to direct the 
flight, and assist the birds to ascend or descend in the air, and keeps 
the body and wings properly poised ! How well are the li??ibs and 
feet appropriated to their diflerent motions ! In som.e birds the toes 
are large, are furnished with mem.branes that extend or contract for 
the purpose of swimming. In others, the claws are sharp and 
crooked at the points, that they may walk the more firmly, perch, 
seize and hold their prey. In some, the legs are long that they may 
walk in the waters, and rake up their food out of wet and marshy 
places : in others, they are shorter but always adapted to their ne- 
c-essities and mode of life. 

Who can help acknowledging in this, the supreme wisdom of our 
Creator and Benefactor ! Is it possible that things so wonderful, so 
regular, so admirably proportioned, can be the eflect of chance ? 
Can any person persuade himself, that such an innumerable multitude 
of veins, muscles, joints, &c., could be put in motion in each animal ; 
and that every part, even to the most minute, should stand in so strict 
a relation to others, and all fulfil their different functions vnth such 
perfect regularity and harmony without design ? On the contrary, 
should not that which we discover of the structure and arrangement 
.©f the animal body, excite us to meditate on the Creator of all things, 



2S0 JUNE XV. 



The wisdom observfible in tlie construction of animal bodies. 



whose wisdom and goodness have placed so many creatures, exactly 
in the circumstances which were most proper for them ? 

Let us, therefore, make use of all these things to glorify our Crea- 
tor; and let us seek true wisdom by endeavouring to acquaint our- 
selves more and more with this Supreme Being, who is not far from 
any one of us ; and who is so gloriously manifested in all the works 
which his hands have formed. 



JUNE XVI. 

THE DEW. 

The wise Governor of nature, who watches continually over his 
children, and provides for all their wants, makes use of more means 
than one for fertilizing the earth. Sometimes he effects this by inun- 
dations : — and it is true, that when these lay the country waste, the 
labourer, who is concerned only about the present, often gives way to 
ungrateful murmurs ; but if their consequences be properly consi- 
dered, we shall find that they are very advantageous and promote the 
general good. Sometimes it is by a river, which, like the Nile in 
Egypt, has the remarkable property of passing its banks at certain 
periods, and overflowing a country, in which it never rains. At other 
times, he effects this by showers, which occur more or less frequently 
to cool the air, to moderate the heats of summer, and to water the 
thirsty land. But the most common means of watering the earth are 
not always sufficient : the most certain, the most general and that to 
which men attend least, and esteem least, is the dew. This inesti- 
mable gift of heaven, which even in years of the greatest drought, 
supports and preserves plants from perishing, is those sparkling drops 
which are seen in such profusion morning and evening, on the leaves 
of trees and on plants. 

The dew does not fall from above, as was formerly imagined ; it 
does not descend from any elevated regions of our atmosphere ; 
much less is it the sweat of stars, as superstition has supposed. This 
pretended celestial origin has probably given rise to the folly of some 
alchymists, who have thought to convert dew into gold. At present, 
it is generally agreed that dew is nothing else than the sweat of 
plants, and the humidity which is exhaled from the earth. To be 
convinced of this, we have only to cover a plant with a glass bell, and 
we shall find that the leaves have collected a larger quantity of dew 
drops during the night, than the leaves of other plants, which have 
been exposed to the open air. This certainly could not happen, if 
the dew fell from above ; and if it did not rise from the ground. 

Nothing can be more easily comprehended than the manner in 
which this is formed ; for no person is ignorant, that the rays of the 
sun, and the heat which is diffused upon the earth, continually detach 



JUNE XVI. 281 



The dew. 



from all bodies a multitude of small particles, some of which rise into 
the atmosphere, and others are collected in the form of drops of water. 
This origin of the dew explains why it is sometimes noxious, at others 
not so : its nature always depending on the quality of the vapours of 
which it is composed. The wind carries away the light exhalations 
as soon as they are formed, and prevents them from collecting into 
drops : hence it is, that the dew is most abundant when the air is calm. 
By this wise arrangement of the Creator, plants may vegetate and 
grow, even in those countries where there is no rain : for the soil in 
those places being sandy, porous, and very moist below, the heat 
draws up a vast quantity of dew, which encompasses the plants, and 
supplies the want of rain. 

These different means which the Divine Providence uses to moisten 
and fertilize the earth, should remind us of those which Divine Grace 
employs to improve the barren hearts of men ; and to make them 
fruitful in good works. Chastisements, more or less severe, blessings 
of all kinds, exhortations, warnings given us .by the example of 
others ; and a thousand other means, are employed by the Lord to 
bring us into a blessed union with himself: to sanctify, and excite us 
to bring forth the fruits of righteousness and true holiness. Some- 
times in nature, a violent storm falls from the clouds, deluges the 
fields, causes rivers and brooks to overflow their banks, and sweeps 
every thing away. At other times, God calls the sweet dew from the 
earth, and hears, so to speak, in secret, the wishes of the husband- 
man for rain. Thus also in the economy of grace, he uses different 
means to accomplish the merciful end he proposes. To many har- 
dened hearts he is obliged to speak in thunder and in lightning, as for- 
merly from mount Sinai. Means less terrible are employed to influ- 
ence and save others. With a gentle, loving, and. persuasive voice, 
God calls them to himself; he awakens their consciences, and restores 
their souls by the beneficent dew of his grace. 

Let this conduct of our heavenly Father be a model to us. Let us 
use all kinds of means to reclaim and amend our neighbour : but es- 
pecially, let us endeavour, after the example of God, to gain him ra- 
ther by kindness than by punishments. Let us particularly imitate 
the kindness of the Lord. We see how he refreshes the parched 
earth by the dew, and gives fresh life and vigour to plants. Let us 
think how many of our fellow-creatures are in distress ; and are lan- 
guishing for lack of succour. Let us not suffer them to implore our 
aid in vain ; or to perish for lack of assistance. Let us endeavour to 
comfort their hearts by kindness ; and pour as many blessings on our 
brethren as the dew sheds on the plants. 



m 



2S2 JUNE XVIL 



Life and labours of the bee. 



JUNE XVII. 

LIFE AND LABOURS OF THE BEE. 

In the fine days of the present season, these days of joy and glad- 
ness, all is in motion, all is full of activity and life in the animal king- 
dom : but there are no creatures whose activity is so advantageous 
to us as the little republic of bees. At least it is certain, that of all 
the insects which surround us, there are none more worthy of our 
observation, or which can present us with a more pleasing and pro^ 
;fi table scene. 

Bees in general dwell in great multitudes, either in hollow trees, 
or such like cavities ; or in that species of basket which we call 
hives. They fly to the environs, disperse themselves on ail sides, 
and by means of their trunk, collect honey and wax from the juice 
and stamina of flowers. What they gather, they bring to their dwell- 
ing, which they fill from top to bottom with hexagonal cells. In some 
■of these cells they reside ; others are destined to receive the eggs, 
and lodge their young. And lastly, others are the magazines where 
they deposit the honey which is to support them during the winter. 

Among those bees which form but one family, there is one greater 
than the rest, a female ; and who is, on this account, called their queen. 
To her alone all the young in one hive are indebted for their exist- 
ence. From the eggs which she deposits in the cells, little worms are 
produced, which the working bees feed for some time with their 
trunks. Afterward these worms remain about fifteen days in their 
cells, which are closed with a covering of wax, without any motion, 
and apparently dead. In this quiescent state they are called nymphce. 
When the time is come, they open their cells, and come out in the 
form of young bees. Besides the queen, there are two other kinds of 
bees found in each hive ; the working bee, and the drone. The 
drones are males ; they impregnate the queen, and serve as her 
guard. Bees have on their heads two antennae or horns, which de- 
fend their eyes, and give them notice of danger. They have fangs 
or claws, which they use in their work; a trunk or hollow tube 
which they can thrust out, or draw into its sheath at pleasure. This 
instrument, pliable and moveable everyway, reaches to the bottom of 
the cup of flowers, to collect the honey ; which passes through the 
trunk to the honey bag, placed within their bodies ; whence it is 
afterward poured out into the cells. 

Bees have six feet : with the two foremost, and their fangs, they 
form the wax, which is i\ie farina or meal of flowers, into littje balls; 
and with their middle feet they place these in little spoon-like hol- 
lows in their hinder legs : these legs are garnished with hair to re- 
tain the wax, that it may not falloff when they fly. Thus laden with 
fioney and wax, the working bees return to their hives, without ever 
missing their way, though they sometimes go to twenty miles dis- 
Iai7ce. When they arrive, they find other bees, which are in waiting 



JUNE XVlh 2S3 

Life and labours of the bee. 



to assist them to unlade their burthen ; and then they all labour to- 
gether to employ these provisions to the general good of the hive. 
With the wax they stop up the crevices of their dwellings, to prevent 
any other animals from entering ; leaving only such openings as are 
necessary for themselves. The queen and the working bees have at 
the extremity of their bodies a sting, enclosed in a sheath, which they 
use to wound and slay their enemies ; but the wound which they 
make is generally fatal to themselves, when the sting remains behind. 
Every thing in these animals should excite our wonder. The 
construction of their limbs, so regular and so well adapted to their 
mode of life ; the care which they take of their young ; the art with 
which they build their cells : their activity, industry, and intelligence. 
Let us never pass a bee-hive v/ith indifference, and without reflec- 
tion. Let us at least admire them ; and that admiration may lead us 
to sublime thoughts. If we wish to meditate on our Creator, we 
shall find him here : this interesting spectacle may lead us to him ; 
and cause us to adore his wisdom, power, and goodness, in the prO' 
Ruction of these little .creatures. 



JUNE XVIII. 

THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF PLANTS 

In order to form a proper idea of the inimitable art visible in the 
vegetable kingdom, we must proceed by degrees. Our understand- 
ing is too limited to be able to take in the whole at one view ; or 
indeed to acquire a perfect knowledge of it here below. We must 
content ourselves with a few observations, and pass progressively 
from visible to invisible things : from simple to compound objects, 
and from species to genus. Who can at one glance comprehend the 
whole of the organization of plants ? Let us begin then with observmg 
their external parts ; and first consider their roots. These are so 
constructed, that by means of the tap, or principal root, (with the 
fibres and small roots which proceed from it,) the plant is firmly fixed 
in the earth. The pores of the root serve to imbibe the aqueous 
and nutritious juices which the earth contains. 

From the root grows the stem, to which the plant owes in a con- 
siderable degree, its strength and beauty. The structure of this is 
varied according to the nature of the plant. In some, the ste?n is in 
the form of a tube, fortified by difierent knots, arranged with great 
skill. In others, the stalk is so weak, that it has need of support, 
round which it may twine, and fasten itself by means of little hooks, 
which proceed from it. In others, the stem rises majestically like a 
strong pillar, becomes the ornament of the forests, and seems to defy 
the winds and tempests. 

The boughs extend themselves like the hunian arms, and are very 
re.^Tularly distributed. These grow wider, and divide themselves 



284 JUNE XVIII. 



The external parts of plants. 



into small branches^ which are arranged collaterally like the large 
boughs. The hitds, or buttons, which proceed from the branches, 
are no other than small plants, which being put in the earth, take 
root, and become exactly similar to the tree in which they first grew. 

The leaves^ that lovely, pleasing ornament of plants, are placed 
regularly round the stalks and branches. Among a thousand plants, 
we can scarcely find two leaves that exactly resemble each other. 
Each has a different structure, a different outline, a different size, 
and different ornaments. The leaves are either simple, or com- 
pound ; hairy, or of a fleshy substance ; smooth, indented, or curled. 
The blossoms of trees, whose beautiful enamel makes one of the 
greatest beauties of nature, are not less diversified than the leaves. 
Some are plain, and have but one flower : and others have several. 
Here we see a vase opening gracefully : there, we see some in the 
forms of helmets, bells, butterflies, stars, and suns. — Some leaves, or 
petals, are placed artlessly round the plant, others seem to form 
spheres, garlands, nosegays, &c. From the centre of the flower 
rises a little pillar, (often several) which is hollow within, round, and 
sometimes pointed at the top : these are termed pistils. Around 
these are other pillars, much smaller, which are called stamina, and 
which support the heads. These are a sort of pendants, or capsules, 
full of very fine powder. 

But who can describe the delicate texture of different flowers ; 
the sweetness of their perfume, the sprightliness, variety, and splen- 
dour of their colours ? — After the blossoms come the fruits and 
seeds ; which repair the waste of the seasons, and supply men and 
animals with food. 

The seeds and fi'uit enclose under one or several skins or coats 
the germs of future plants. The external form of fruits and seeds 
vary as much as that of the leaves and blossoms. There is scarcely 
any sort of form but may be distinguished in one or other of them. 

All these parts of plants have their proper use and design. Let 
one of the least be removed, and the plant loses a part of its perfec- 
tion : its beauty, growth, or increase, must be injured by it. How- 
ever extraordinary it may appear to us, it is certain, that each of 
these parts is necessary to the perfection of the whole. Make an 
experiment : strip a tree of its leaves, and it will soon wither and die 
away. It is the same with all the other parts ; there is none super- 
fluous, none useless, none that does not manifestly conduce to the 
perfection of the rest. 

But in discovering these relations, this harmony and wonderful 
arrangement of every thing in the vegetable kingdom ; in seeing that 
the whole is beautiful, and regulated by general laws variously ap? 
plied, shall we not conclude, that the Author of all these beauties is 
infinite in wisdom ? This consequence is as natural as that which we 
jdraw, when, in hearing a person speak, we conelude he is near us. 
Let us, therefore, raise our souls to the Creator of all things : in 
.every thing we may see and acknowledge him. It is for this purpose 



JUNE XVllI. 285 



The external parts of plants. 



that he has formed plants with so much magnificence ; and that he 
displays to our eyes their beauty and utility. Let the divine wis- 
dom be ever present with us ! It will discover itself in the smallest 
spire of grass, if we take the trouble to examine it attentively. 
Such reflections will render us more sensible of the pleasures of 
summer ; and render it still more glorious in our eyes. The more 
we accustom ourselves to meditate on the works of Godj the greater 
satisfaction we shall find. At the sight of every flower we may ex- 
claim with transport : — How great is our Creator ! How admirable is 
his wisdom I 



JUNE XIX. 

A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORKS OF CREATION. 

To thee, O Lord, from whom all blessings proceed, and who dispen- 
sest them with a liberal hand, to thee belong glory, honour, and thanks- 
giving. Thou hearest the cries of the young raven, and art pleased 
with the hymn of the lark : deign also to listen to my songs ; and let 
the iust tribute of my praise be pleasing to thee. 

The least creature formed by thy hands, displays thy wisdom. The 
traces of thy power and goodness are seen from one end of the year 
to the other ; and thou renewest them continually. Every spire of 
grass proclaims to me thy majesty, and my own meanness. 

With the tenderness of a father, thou providest for the necessities 
of men and animals : thou givest them the nourishment that is proper 
for them. From one morning unto another, thy blessings come in 
continual succession ; even the wicked taste thy goodness. O God, 
who is like unto thee ! 

The earth is full of thy wisdom and goodness : teach me, O Lord, 
to praise thee in a becoming manner ; incline my heart to love thee ; 
and henceforth may I live only to thee, who loadest me with thy 
blessings ! 

It is in thy name, and in hope of thy blessing, that the husbandman 
commits his corn to the furrow. It is thou who formest the seed, 
and enduest it with fertility. The earth on which the curse rested be- 
cause of sin, blessed anew by its Creator, now brings forth an abun- 
dance of fruit. 

Thou fertilizest the bosom of the earth ; thou waterest the furrows 
of the field ; thou adornest the meadows, the vallies, and the plains, 
with flowers, thickets, trees, and herbage : thou commandest the cool- 
ing and beneficent dew to revive our gardens and fields, and to shed 
on them fertility and abundance. 

The dry and thirsty land thou waterest with thy gracious showers. 
Thou warmest the cold and damp places with the rays of thy sun. 
In wisdom thou appointest'the times and the seasons, that they may 
be advanta2:eous to the children of men. So that amidst all the vicis- 



286 JUNE XIX. 



A hymn of thanksgiving for the works of creation. 



situdes of heat and cold, rain and drought, we see the food which thy 
bounty has designed for us, spring up, grow, and ripen. 

Thou coverest our fields with abundant crops : the wings of the 
wind support the waving corn : thou adornest the tops of the barren 
rocks with grapes ; thou deckest our pasture grounds with clover ; at 
thy command the brooks and fountains refresh the thirsty animals. 

Thou causest the tree to take root, and prosper. Thou makest the 
life giving sap to circulate in its stem and branches : thou givest it 
power to shoot forth buds, leaves, and blossoms : and the abundant 
fruit, by which the branches are bent, proves how much thou delight- 
est to do good. 

O come, and give glory to our Creator and Benefactor : bless his 
name, and celebrate his bounty with transports of joy ! Great is the 
Lord our God : all his works are holy and marvellous ! Come, and 
let us exalt his power : the Lord is good : it becometh the righteous 
to publish his praise. 



JUNE XX. 

CATERPILLARS. 

Thou&h these insects are so disagreeable to the lovers of gatdehSj 
and so disgusting to some nice and delicate people, they also merit our 
attention. Caterpillars generally live on our trees ; and w^e feel such 
hatred to them, that we endeavour to destroy them wherever we meet 
them. Hence it is, that we do not condescend to honour them with 
an attentive look, and still less to examine them with any attention. 
Nevertheless, we may confidently assert, that even these insects may 
agreeably amuse an attentive observer of the works of God. Let us 
endeavour to make the trial : perhaps it may excite the curiosity of 
the reader, and induce him not to trample under foot this insect, till 
he has observed its wonderful structure, and taken occasion from it to 
ascend to his Creator. 

There are more than 800 species of this animal already known ; 
and new ones are daily discovered. Their shape, colour, form, 
propensities, and modes of life, all vary in the different species ; but 
they have this in common, that they are composed of many rings, 
which, by dilating and contracting, draw the animal along wherever 
it goes. Nature has given them two kinds of feet, which have their 
particular use. The six fore feet are a kind of hooks, which they 
use to take fast hold of objects, and cling to them. The sole of the 
hinder feet is broad, and armed with small pointed nails. With the 
hooks they lay hold on the leaves and grass, and other nourishment ; 
and by these fix the forepart of the body, till they have drawn up the 
hinder part. The hind feet they use to keep themselves firm, and to 
grasp whatever serves them as a resting place. When they are on a 
twig OF leaf, they can seize another at some distance ; for hooking the 



JUNE XX. 287 



Caterpillars. 



hinder feet fast, they raise up the forepart of their bodies, poise it in 
the air, and turn about on all sides ; reach considerably forward on the 
leaf that is to be their next food, and hold themselves fast to it by 
means of their hooks. However well adapted the body of the 
caterpillar is to its necessities, it is nevertheless remarkable, that its 
state is but transitory ; that their limbs last only a certain time, and 
that by and by this creeping worm will become a chrysalis, without 
feet or motion, until it be metamorphosed into a creature which 
appertains to those classes which inhabit the air. 

Were it only on this account, the caterpillars merit our attention. 
Towards the end of the summer, and often sooner, after being 
satiated with verdure, and having changed their skins often, they 
cease to eat, and begin to build a house, in which they may leave the 
caterpillar state, and transform themselves into butterflies. This 
housey which is called the chrysalis, is of an oval form ; towards the 
end are rings, which grow less and less, till they terminate in a point. 
The chrysalis is full of a sort of pap, which serves for nourishment 
to the butterfly till the time it comes out. When it is completely 
formed, when all its members have acquired their proper consis- 
tence ; and Avhen a gentle warmth invites them to abandon their 
prisons ; they make a passage through the largest end, which is at the 
same time the thinnest part of the chrysalis. Its head, which was 
always turned towards this end, is first disengaged ; the antenna3, or 
horns, lengthen, the feet and wings expand, and the animal gives a 
spring and flies away. It retains nothing of its first state : the ca- 
terpillar, which was changed into a chrysalis ; and the chrysalis, which 
became a butterfly, are widely different animals. The first was 
downy, prickly, and often of a hideous aspect ; the latter is decorated 
with the most vivid colours. The first was contented with gross 
nourishment ; the latter goes from flower to flower, and roams at 
large over all nature, of which itself is an ornament. 

May not this description reconcile every person to these insects, 
and abolish that hatred which is generally felt towards them ? Per- 
haps some may think they still have a right to ask, " After all, of 
what use are these animals : and would it not be better to be entirely 
freed from them ?" No, certainly : on the contrary, we may rest as- 
sured, that the world would be less perfect than it is, were there no 
caterpillars. Destroy these insects, and you deprive the birds of a 
considerable part of their food. Now, as the birds are to feed on 
caterpillars, it was right that the Creator should assign leaves and 
herbs to these insects, to which they have an equal right with us. It 
is true, that these animals, by their voracity, often become trouble- 
some to men ; but this is an evil which, in much Avisdom, the Creator 
permits : for the ravages and desolations which caterpillars often 
make, should tend! to humble us, and to remind us of the transitori- 
ness of our earthly possessions. And, suppose we could not com- 
prehend the reasons why God formed such creatures, v/e could not, 
on this ground, assert they were useless. On the contrary, we 



^88 JUNE XX, 



Caterpillars. 



should take occasion, from this, to acknowledge our own ignorance ; 
and render him the glory which is due to his name. 



JUNE XXI. 

THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER. 

Summer begins this day. Many of us have often seen the changes 
which this day causes through all nature ; but, do we know why the 
sun remains so long above the horizon : why this is the longest day 
of the year; how it comes that, reckoning from this day to the end 
of autumn, we perceive the heat and length of the days diminish in 
the same proportions ? All these changes proceed from the annual 
revolutions of our globe round the sun. When the sun is in Cancer, 
the earth is so situated, that the whole of its northern pole is turned 
towards the sun ; because the Creator has inclined the axis of our 
earth towards the north ; and it preserves this direction invariably. 
On this inclination, and the parallelism of the earth's axis, the 
changes of the four seasons of the year, properly speaking, depend. 

Let us stop here a moment, and consider the goodness and wisdom 
of God manifested in this inclination of the axis of the earth. If 
the direction of this axis were perpendicular, our globe would be a 
melancholy habitation, both for animals and plants. Neither the in- 
crease nor decrease of the days, nor any difference of seasons, could 
possibly take place. How much then to be pitied would the inhabi- 
tants of the north be ! The air which they respire would be always 
as keen as that of March and September ; and, with the exception of 
a little moss and grass, the soil would produce no fruit. In a word, 
the greater part of the two hemispheres would be only a dreary de- 
sert, the habitation only of a few insects. 

At present, nature has nearly finished her annual work in our cli- 
mate. Already she has lost a part of her variety. Nothing can be 
more green than the vines, the orchards, and the forests ; but the 
shades are not so pleasing. The meadows begin to whiten, and 
their flowers are mowed down. The corn grows insensibly yellow, 
and the number of the flowers diminishes. Lately the variety and 
vivacity of these, with the various notes of a multitude of birds, had 
all the charms of novelty, and cheered us in the most delightful man- 
ner. But, the nearer we come to autumn, these pleasures diminish : 
the nightingale is silent, and walking becomes inconvenient because 
of the excessive heat. 

May we not see in this an emblem of our life ? Are not the plea- 
sures we enjoy equally transient? Even the most innocent, those 
which nature affords us, during the spring, change and give place to 
other objects. That which we now observe in the summer of nature, 
we may also see in the summer of life. When we have attained our 
fortieth year, which is the beginning of a ripe age, the world, in 



JUNE XXI. 289 



Beginning of summei-. 



respect to us, will lose part of those charms which delighted us in our 
youth. And when we approach the autumn of life, we often become 
a prey to many cares and anxieties ; and are less sprightly, less calm, 
and less happy, than we formerly were. We shall then observe, that 
our bodily strength diminishes insensibly by age ; and, finally, the days 
w411 come, in which we shall say, I have no pleasure in them 

But, with what heartfelt joy may we lift up our souls to thee, O 
Lord, who directest the seasons, who art the father of all beings, and 
the fountain of felicity ! In this also may we acknowledge thy wis- 
dom and goodness, who causest the seasons to succeed each other ia 
so regular an order. Let us never forget thee, while enjoying those 
pleasures which summer diffuses over nature : thee, who orderest all 
things, and whose glory each season proclaims ! And may we do this 
the more now, because it may be the last summer which we shall ever 
see upon earth. Alas ! how many of our friends and acquaintance, 
who, in the last summer, enjoyed with us the beauty of the earthly 
world, have been removed by death before this summer began to exist ? 
Possibly w^e may be soon called to rejoin them. Probably this is the 
last time we shall ever see the beauties of nature I O may we live 
this summer as if it were to be our last ! May we glorify our God 
with as much ardour as we should, were we assured that we should 
have it no more in our power to perform^ this duty here below ! Let 
us live in such a manner as never to regret that we have seen so many 
returns of the seasons ! Condescend, O Lord, to confirm us in these 
resolutions by thy Spirit : and, as thou hast inspired them, give ua 
power to reduce them to practice ! 



JUNE XXII. 

THE NIGHTINGALE. 

The nightingale is a musician of the first order among the inhabi- 
tants of the groves. When all the birds who during the day cheered 
us with their melody, cease to be heard; then the nightingale tunes 
her voice to animate the woods and groves. When we listen to the 
thrilling sounds of her voice, we are apt to conclude that the bird must 
be large, that her throat must have uncommon strength ; and the ini- 
mitable charms of her melodious accents, make us presum.e that in 
beauty she surpasses all other birds. 

But in vain do we seek these perfections in the nightingale : she 
is a bird of a mean appearance, the colour, form, and the whole exte- 
rior of which have nothing attractive or majestic ; — little that appears 
to advantage. Nature however, to compensate for her plainness, has 
given her a voice, the charms of which are irresistible. Listen to 
]ier long quavering notes : what richness, variety, sweetness, and 
elegance ! When she begins to sing, she seems to study, before hand, 
the melodious accents which she is going to pour forth. She begins 

87 



290 JUNE XXII. 



The nightingale. 



softly, then the notes swell gradually, and succeed each other with 
the rapidity of a torrent. She proceeds from grave to sprightly 
notes { from simple sounds to the wildest warblings ; from the lightest 
turns and quavers, to languishing sighs ; and in each, possesses the 
art of pleasing the ear. 

This bird may give rise to a number of useful and edifying 
thoughts. For instance, we may learn from her this truth, that 
homeliness of body is sometimes united with amiable qualities, and 
does not preclude mental beauty. How unjustly do those act whc, 
attaching themselves only to the features of the face, and qualities 
merely external, neither praise nor blame any thing but what strikes 
their senses ; and who despise, or treat with asperity, those of their 
fellow creatures who have bodily defects: let us learn to judge with 
more equity. Yes, a man deprived of the advantages of figure and 
fortune, may manifest in his conduct a wise and holy mind, and thus 
render himself worthy of our esteem. The perfections of the soul 
alone give a man true merit, and render him worthy of admiration : 
other things can only seduce those who are incapable of estimating 
wisdom and virtue. Have we not seen persons who were neither 
distinguished by birth nor fortune, render the most important ser- 
vices both to the church and state ? Often ill proportioned or deformed 
persons have shown more magnanimity of soul than those who were 
favoured with the most beautiful and majestic form. " This is a les- 
son not to trust to appearances. Often those whom we dare to 
despise, are found to be superior to ourselves." 

When we hear the skilful harmony of the nightingale, should it 
not naturally lead us to that God who is the author of this talent ? 
What wisdom must there be in the formation of this bird, which 
makes it capable of such sounds ! Lungs so delicate as those of the 
nightingale, the motions of which are so violent, must be easily hurt, 
had they not the singular advantage of being attached to the vertebrae 
of its back, by a multitude of strong fibres. The opening of the 
windpipe is very wide, and this doubtless contributes much to the 
variety of its notes ; which, while they charm the ear, may fill the 
soul with a sweet and pious delight. May we not here discover evi- 
dences of a wise and gracious Providence ; and be excited, by the 
songs of the nightingale to glorify the Author of nature ? 

Amiable songstress ! I will not leave thee till I have learned of 
thee to celebrate thy Creator and mine. Pour, by thy songs, gratitude 
into the hearts of the many insensible mortals, who in these cheerful 
days contemplate, with indifference, the beauties of the creation ! 



JUNE XXIII. 291 



Pleasures which summer affords to our senses. 



JUNE XXIII. 

THE PLEASURES WHICH SUMMER AFFORDS TO OUR SENSES. 

SuMBTER has inexpressible charms and gives us daily proofs of 
the infinite beneficence of the Creator. It is the happy season in 
which God pours out the treasures of his bounty in the most abun- 
dant manner on every living creature. After nature has reanimated 
us b}^ the pleasures which the spring affords, she labours incessantly 
throughout the summer to afTord us what may gratify our senses, ren- 
der our subsistence easy, satisfy our wants, and awaken our hearts to 
sentiments of gratitude and love. 

In virtue of the secret laws of nature, an innumerable quantity 
of fruits grow before our eyes in the fields and gardens ; fruits which, 
having pleased the sight, may be afterward gathered and preserved 
for our food. Flowers present to our senses the most pleasing vari- 
ety. We admire their superb dress, and the riches, and inexhaustible 
fecundity of nature, in the multiplicity of their species. What 
beauty and variety do we find in plants, from the humble moss to the 
stately oak! Let us go from flower to flower, there are still new 
charms. Let us climb the highest mountain ; let us seek the 
cool shade of the woods ; let us descend into the vallies ; new 
charms appear every where ! A multitude of objects present them- 
selves to our eyes, all different from each other ; and yet each pos- 
sessing some beauty sufficient to engage our attention. There, innu- 
merabte flowers ; and here, divers kinds of living creatures. If we 
look upwards, our eyes are delightful with the celestial azure; if we 
look downwards, they are refreshed with the beautiful verdure with 
which the earth is clothed. Our ear is delighted with the joyous 
notes of the aerial songsters ; their varied and simple melody fills the 
soul with the most agreeable and pleasing sensations. The murmur- 
ing of the brooks, and the silver curls of a fine flowing river, please 
both the eye and ear. . . . ' 

To please our taste, strawberries, and other delicious fruit, ripen, 
which, independently of the pleasure they afford, communicate a 
salutary coolness to the blood. Our barns and storehouses are filled 
with the new productions of our fields and gardens: which not only 
please our taste, but afford us the most wholesome nourishment. The 
smell is struck with sweet emanations from every quarter. In a wojd 
a thousand pleasing objects appear to exercise our senses, and excite 
our sensibility. Numberless flocks feed on the abundance of gene- 
rous nature ; and digest wholesome herbs, to procure us the health- 
giving milk, and nourishing fleshmeat. Copious showers moisten 
the earth, and open to us new sources of blessings. Tufted trees 
and smiling thickets, cover us with the most delightful shade. All that 
we see, hear, taste, or smell, increases our pleasures, and contributes 
to our felicity. 



292 JUNE XXIII. 



Pleasures which summer affords to our sensea. 

But the creation is a scene still more extensive and enchanting for 
the mind than for the senses. Where the senses cannot reach, the 
mind discovers beauty, harmony, variety, and new pleasures. In all 
the objects of creation, it perceives the Creator of all things, the 
source and life of beauty, and the author of all good. Yes, O ado- 
rable Being, I see thee in every creature. If I lift ray eyes to the 
heavens, the sun, the moon, and every star, tell me that thou hast 
made them. If I smell the balsamic odour of flowers, that sensation 
teaches me, that it is thou who hast formed me so as to exhale those 
sweet perfumes. If I taste a delicious fruit, I am convinced, that to 
manifest thy goodness towards me, thou givest me, so many means of 
nourishment. All that I perceive through the medium of ray senses, 
leads me to thee ; and this exalts and ennobles all my sensations. 
While I am employed with those sensible beauties, I rise impercepti- 
bly towards the most sublime object; towards the centre of perfec- 
tion. While my attention seems only to be fixed on earthly things, 
my thoughts soar up insensibly to heaven, and are lost in the abyss 
of eternity. 

O heavenly joy ! is there any pleasure upon earth for which I 
would exchange thee ! Is there any thing in it that equals thee in 
worth ? how I wish to give myself up to these contemplations, 
that the gratification of my senses may furnish my mind with the 
most exquisite nourishment! But can it ever be satisfied? No! 
Though I should see a thousand new summers upon earth, I should 
always discover new objects of admiration. And this, to me, is a 
strong proof of that life to come, for which I hope. There, my 
senses shall be more exquisite ; and my understanding more perfect 
than here below. What beauties shall then present themselves to 
my view ? How ecstatic shall my joy be ! What thanks do I owe 
unto thee, O Lord Jesus, for such sublime hopes as these ! 



JUNE XXIV. 

A SKETCH OF THE HOWARD PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

The more difficult it is to gain a proper knowledge of the internal 
parts of the human body, the more necessary it is to profit by the 
instructions which eminent anatomists have given us. With this design 
I am going to give the reader a short description of those parts. 

The heart, placed in the thorax or hreast, is the spring of motion 
to the whole machine ; and highly deserves our admiration. The 
viscus consists of muscular fibres, curiously interwoven. Two cavi- 
ties, called ventricles, separated from each other by a partition, are 
formed within this organ. As the heart continually dilates in order 
to receive the returning blood, and contracts in order to diffuse it 
through the w^hole system. 

The lungs are a spongy body, which, like hellnws, open and shut to 
take in and expel the air. They extend on both sides, and nearly 



JUNE XXIV. 293 



Sketch of the inward parts of the human body. 



fill up the whole capacity of the breast, to cool it with the air which 
they inspire, and to prevent the blood from being too much attenua- 
ted. The breast is covered on the inside with a fine thin membrane, 
called the pleura. Under the lungs, the stomach is placed which re- 
ceives and digests the food, and is shaped like a purse. On the right 
side is the liver, which co/ers one side of the stomach, and by its 
heat assists digestion. It separates the hile from the blood, which is 
collected in a particular vessel called the gall bladder : this liquid 
descends into the intestines ; and the irritation which it there occa- 
sions, helps to expel the excrements. 

Opposite to the liver is the spleen, which is a soft bag, and easily 
stretched. The blood is brought into it by the arteries, and proceeds 
from it by the veins. Behind the liver and spleen, are the reins or 
kidneys. Of these there are two ; one on the right, and the other 
on the left : their use is to separate from the mass of blood, the hu- 
mours which empty themselves in the bladder. Under these parts 
are situated the intestines, which are attached to the mesentery ; they 
complete the separation of the digested food; and what is unfit for 
nutriment they expel from the body. The mesentery is a great 
membrane, with a variety of foldings, to which the intestines are at- 
tached. In the mesentery are seen innumerable vessels as fine as 
hairs, which are termed the lacteals, because they contain a juice ex- 
tracted from the food, similar to milk. In the middle of the mesea 
tery is a large gland, where the lacteal veins unite as in a common 
centre. A skin full of folds, glands and muscles, covers all the intes- 
tines. All that part of the body called the abdomen, which begins at 
the stomach, is separated from the breast by the diaphragm, or mi- 
driff. It has several openings, to give passage to the vessels which 
are to descend to the inferior parts. The liver and spleen are fas- 
tened to it. Laughter is occasioned by an agitation of this membrane ; 
and this, it is supposed, helps to disengage the spleen from the hu- 
mours which incommode it. 

Such are the principal parts of the thorax and ahdomen ; but, be- 
sides these, there are several others which communicate with them. 
At the beginning of the neck are the cesophagus (gullet) and windpipe. 
The (Esophagus is the canal through which the food passes into the 
stomach : by the Avindpipe the air penetrates into the lungs. When 
the lungs send back the air through this channel, the voice is formed ; 
and at the same time, the breast throws off its superfluous humours. 
At the top of the windpipe, is a small valve, or covering, which opens 
to give passage to v/hatever is to come out by this tube. The lower 
orifice of the stomach is provided with a similar valve, which opens 
when it is pressed by the food ; and shuts again to prevent it from 
returning. In the upper part of the head, the brain is placed; 
which is capable of receivmg impressions from external objects. Its 
whole mass is covered with two fine, transparent membranes ; the 
outer of which is called the dura mater, the inner, the pia mater, 



294 JUNE XXIV. 



Sketch of the hiward parts of the human body. 



The former has a muhitude of arteries and veins, interspersed over 
it ; the latter closely invests the substance of the brain. 

.Besides these parts, each of which occupies a determinate place; 
there are others which are dispersed over the whole body, such as 
the bones, arteries, veins, lymphatics, and nerves. The bones, uni- 
ted together by joints, serve partly to support the body, and render it 
capable of motion ; and partly to preserve and protect its nobler 
parts. The arteries and vei72s are diffused through the whole body, 
to nourish it by the blood which circulates in them. There are also 
many lymphatic vessels, which ordinarily join to certain glands, and 
receive a yellowish and transparent liquor, which they distribute 
afterward to the whole body. 

The nerves, of which ten principal pairs are reckoned, are like little 
cords : they proceed from the brain and distribute themselves over 
the whole body : they include a kind of medullary substance like 
that of the brain, and are the organs of sense and motion to the whole 
machine. All these parts are pierced with holes, to the end that the 
light and subtile matter which superabounds, may transpire. These 
lioies, w^hich by their extreme fineness are invisible to the naked eye, 
are called pores. The same wisdom, so visible in the solid parts of our 
bodies, is found equally so in the fluid. The blood, chyle, lymph, bile, 
marrow, nervous juice^ and the different kinds of viscous and glutinous 
humour, which innumerable glands furnish ; their several properties, 
ends, effects, the manner in which they are prepared, filtrated, and 
separated from each other ; their circulation, and reparation, all an- 
nounce the most astonishing art, and the most profound wisdom. 

Let us now^ recapitulate v/hal we have said on the internal struc- 
ture of the human body. The bones, by their joints and solidity, 
form the ground-work, or frame of this beautiful edifice. The liga- 
merits, are the cords, which fasten all together. The muscles are 
fleshy substances, which execute their functions as elastic springs. 
The nerves, which extend to all parts of the body, establish between 
them the most intimate connexion. The arteries and veins, like rivers, 
convey health and life to every part. 

The heart; placed in the centre, is the focus where the blood col- 
lects, and the primum mobile, from, and by means of which, it is cir- 
culated and preserved. The lungs, by another power, take in the 
external air, and expel noxious vapours. The stomach and intestines, 
are the magazines and laboratories, where those matters are prepa- 
red which are necessary for daily supply. The brain, the seat of 
the soul, is formed in such a manner as is suitable to the dignity of 
its inhabitant. The senses, the servants of the soul, give it informa- 
tion of all that is necessary for it to know ; and minister to all its 
pleasures and wants. 

Adorable Creator ! With v/hat mavellous art hast thou formed 
us! Though the heavens, which proclaim thy glory did not exist; 
though there were no other created being upon earth but myself, my 
tody alone would suffice to convince me of thy existence, the immen- 



JUNE XXIV. 295 



Sketch of the inward parts of the human body. 



sity of thy power, and the infinitude of thy goodness. It would be 
highly criminal in me not to pay attention to this subject. May that 
sinful indifference which h an insult to my Divine Author, be far 
from me ! As often as we meditate on the structure of our bodies, we 
should praise Him who has formed us with so much wisdom. And 
can we do less, in return for so great a proof of God's goodness ? 



JUNE XXV. 

THE ELECTRIC FLUID. 

From the many experiments made in our time, no person now 
doubts the existence of the electric fluid ; the singular effects of 
which have engaged the attention of Europe for more than half a 
century. It appears, that this fluid is equally distributed through all 
bodies : but, like the air, it is not apparent to our senses till it is 
agitated. The equilibrium, which has been interrupted by any cause 
whatever, must be restored, before w^e can sensibly perceive the elec- 
tric Jliiid. Here we must distinguish two kinds of electric bodies : 
the first are such by nature ; the electric fire, be it what it may, can 
be excited and increased in them by means of friction. The second 
receive that electric power not by friction, but by communication with 
"the former. The principal bodies w^hich compose the first class, are 
glass, pitch, rosin, sealing-wax, hair, silk, and air. All other bodies, 
but especially water, and metallic substances, appertain to the second. 
Bodies of the first kind may be rendered capable of preserving the 
electric matter which is collected in them : those of the second class, 
on the contrary, lose it as soon as they receive it. 

Machines have been invented, in which, b}^ means of a wheel, a 
rapid motion is given to a glass globe or cylinder, which in turning 
round, rubs against the hand or a cushion. Through this friction the 
globe preserves its electric virtue, which may be extended at pleasure 
by wires or chains, which communicate with the glass globe. If, while 
the machine is working, the hand touch one of these wires, a smart 
shock is felt ; and if the place be darkened, a luminous spark will be 
perceived. Let any number of persons take hands, and form a circle ; 
and they will all receive the electric shock in the same moment, which 
may be made more or less violent. We can give the electric fire 
power sufficient to kill, not only sparrows, and other little birds, but 
also hens, geese, cocks, and even sheep. 

This experiment succeeds only where there are several glass jars 
or bottles, nearly filled with water, and united with chains to each 
other, and in communication with the glass globe, working as before 
described. The water communicates to the internal surface of the 
bottles a large quantity of the electric matter; the outward surface 
at the same time losing an equal quantity by means of its communi- 



296 JUNE XXV. 



Electric fluid. 



cation with some conducting body. A violent flash, a loud explosion, 
and violent agitation, ignition of combustible matter, and the death of 
the animal, are the consequences of this experiment. 

There are other effects which are common to all kinds of experi- 
ments ; such as a sulphureous smell, an agitation of the air, and the 
electric matter acquiring a new property. It has been observed, that 
some experiments have failed, because the wires which served as 
conductors of the electric matter, were too angular and pointed. It 
was then supposed, the electric matter became dissipated by the 
points. This conjecture was confirmed on putting the face or hand 
near the angles and points, a copious stream of the electric fluid was 
perceived to issue from them. It was then conjectured, that these 
points which cast off the electric matter, might also attract it ; and 
a number of experiments have confirmed the truth of this conclu- 
sion. 

Should any one ask, What is the use all these observations ? 
We answer ; a two-fold use has already been found out; and we may 
learn further uses of this singular phenomenon of nature in time to 
come. The physicians have applied electricity to their art ; and 
there are many examples of paralytic limbs being cured by electric 
shocks. Other naturalists have found out a great analogy between 
the electric fluid and lightning ; and this has given rise to new ideas 
concerning the formation of thunder ; and has completely changed the 
former opinions on that subject. 

Thus, we receive from time to time new solutions of the mysteries 
contained in the great works of the Creator. How limited are the 
views of man ! How little attention does he pay to those important 
things which are placed before his eyes; seeing the phenomena of 
which we speak have lain hid for so many Eiges ! Even at present, 
how little do we know of nature, and how much have we yet to 
learn I 



JUNE XXVI. 

THE MANNEPi. IN WHICH THUNDER IS FORMED. 

Formerly, and even to the beginning of the eighteenth century, 
it was commonly supposed that thunder proceeded from an inflamma- 
tion of salts, sulphureous matters, and other substances, which are 
found in the air. It was imagined, that there was the greatest resem- 
blance between the effect of fire-arms and that of thunder and light- 
ning. But all the explanations by which men endeavoured to esta- 
blish this system, were not sufficient to remove the difficulties Which 
opposed k ; or to account for the fact. But since proper attention 
has been paid to the phenomena produced by the electric fluid, we 
have been authorized to attribute the same cause to each. The per- 
fect resemblance between it and electricity, has convinced naturalists, 



JUNE XXVI. 297 



The manner in which thunder is formed. 



that they are identically the same : and that electricity is the same in 
our hands that thunder is in the hands of nature : thunder executes 
at large what we imitate in miniature. It will not be difficult to de- 
monstrate this, even to those who are unacquainted with natural phi- 
losophy, if they will only take the trouble to compare the effects pro- 
duced by thunder with those produced by the electric fire. 

The effects of thunder are discovered by peals, heard at a distance, 
and by conflagration. Buildings which are struck by it, often become 
a prey to the flames. Men struck by it become lived, and appear 
scorched, though sometimes there is no trace of the fire ; the violence 
of the stroke alone having killed them : their clothes are all torn to 
rags, the lightning throws them to some distance from the place in which 
they were struck ; and often that part of the body where the light- 
ning fell is pierced with holes. Sometimes great stones are broken 
by it ; and its ravages are easily discoverable on the ground where it 
falls. 

The electric fluid produces the same eflects, but in a less degree. 
When its power is increased by means of water, the electric flash is 
followed by a very sensible commotion : the most compact bodies are 
perforated, birds and small animals are killed, and each flash is accom- 
panied with noise. The stream of fire which proceeds from the points 
of electrified bodies with a hissing noise, is one of the phenomena 
found in lightning. In regard to velocity, there is still a greater re- 
semblance between lightning and the electric fluid. If, during a 
thunder storm, a sword or chain be hung in the air, by means of 
silken strings, it becomes electrified ; if the finger be put near it, bright 
sparks of lightning proceed from it, the strength of which is propor- 
tioned to the storm and distance from the electric cloud. In a word, 
every effect of electricity appears during a thunder storm. After so 
many experiments, we cannot doubt but the air is highly electrified 
during a thunder storm ; and that the thunder and lightning are the mere 
effects of a violent electric fire. 

Thus, what appears wonderful and fatal in these natural pheno- 
mena, disappears in proportion as we get acquainted with tho laws of 
nature. Consequently, every one should have a general knowledge, 
at least, of the first principles of natural history. Fear and super- 
stition, which so often mingle themselves with our observations of 
nature, would be quickly annihilated, if we refiected more particular- 
ly on it, or ourselves ; or consulted those who were properly ac- 
quainted with the subject. Let us use the light we have to banish 
that fear and distress which seize on our minds at the approach of a 
thunder storm ; and henceforth, let us look up, without terror, to that 
God who .performs such great marvels : for how capable soever we 
may be of assigning the causes of thunder, according to just and in- 
variable principles drawn from natural philosophy, the phenomena 
continue to be no less marvellous ; and they present certain circum- 
stances which will ever be inexplicable even to the most enlight- 
ened genius. It is enough for us to know that the nature of the air 

38 



JUNE XXVI. 



The manner in which thunder is formed. 



and the whole surrounding- atmosphere, render this phenomenon neces- 
sary : that these storms are means, in the hands of God, to fertilize the 
earth ; and that, therefore they should excite us to render our tribute of 
praise and thanksgiving to our great Creator. 



JUNE XXVII. 

HERRINGS. 

In this season, the herring fishery commences on the coast of Eng- 
land and Scotland ; by which we shall receive in a short time, a great 
quantity of these fish, which, during the course of the year, shall fur- 
nish nourishment for the poor as well as the rich. Let us examine 
what is most important in the natural history of these fish. 

An innumerable multitude live in the Frozen Sea, near the Arctic 
Pole : but, at a certain period, they quit their abode, and come in 
great shoals to the English and Dutch coasts. We cannot exactly 
tell what is the cause of this emigration ; some suppose it is to escape 
from the whale, and other large fish, inhabitants of the Frozen Sea : 
others imagine, that the prodigious multiplication of the herrings 
obliges them to take long journeys : because, being too numerous un- 
der the northern ice, they are obliged to detach colonies to other 
places, that they may find means of subsistence. Probably, it is the 
desire of propagating, and a particular instinct, which leads them to 
places more favourable for the multiplication and support of their 
species. 

All these reasons may operate to induce vast shoals of herring to 
leave the North at the beginning of the year : for by the month of 
March, the western wing of this immense army reaches the coasts of 
Ireland. Herrings are so numerous about this Island at this time, that 
they take up great numbers of them at once with the scoop with which 
they water the sails. The eastern wing advances further into the Bal- 
tic Sea. A part of it turns towards the North Cape, comes down the 
coast of Norway, and enters by the Sound into the sea. Another part 
steers for the northern point of Jutland ; and afterward enters into the 
Zuyder Sea; whence it proceeds into the Baltic, in order to return to 
its primitive residence. But the most numerous detachment of the 
eastern wing, is that which turns straight to the western coast, and ar- 
rives at the Orkneys, where the Dutch go to catch them. There, about 
the 8th of June, the sea is full of herrings : afterward they turn to- 
wards Scotland and England, where they fill all the bays and harbours 
with their /?-2/. After having left England, they probably return north- 
ward to their own country : at least they then disappear, and we know 
not what becomes of them. 

We have cause to be surprised, when w«3 consider the prodigious 
number of these fish. A single female herring deposits at least 
10,000 eggs, in the sea near to Great Britain. This great fecundity 



JUNE XXVII. 299 

Herrings. 

renders credible what is said of the Dutch fishery, they alone take 
annually about 200,000,000 of herrings : a fishery which not only 
supports a vast number of persons, but adds a sum of more than 
2,000,000 of dollars to the Dutch revenue. 

It is very just that we should lift up our hearts to the almighty and 
infinitely bountiful Creator; who, by a guidance full of wisdom, 
causes these fish to fall into the nets and hands of men. How many 
means does he use to provide for and support our lives ! Every sea, 
lake, and river, is tributary to mankind, and contributes to their sup- 
port. 

" How populous is the mighty sea ! How many armies swim in his 
bosom ! There, the king of its inhabitants sports. There, amidst a 
thousand dangers, vessels pursue their course. Guided and preser- 
ved by thy providence, O Lord, all that live on the earth, in the, 
ocean, and in the air, look unto thee, and thou satisfiest them with 
thy goodness." And we also, bountiful Father ! are fed by the 
armies with which thou hast peopled the ocean. For our sakes the 
herrings take long voyages ; and by them thou furnishest high and 
low, rich and poor, with a cheap and wholesome nutriment. May 
we receive this gift from thy hand with gratitude ; and in the use of 
it, bless that God who has formed such profitable creatures ! 



JUNE XXVIII. 

ECLIPSES OF THE SUN AND MOON. 

It is shameful, that in an age so enlightened as ours, not only tne mul- 
titude, but those who pretend to be very far superior to the common 
people, should be still so ignorant in respect to these phenomena. 
Hence proceed those superstitious notions relative to eclipses of the 
sun and moon. If people would be at the trouble to examine the 
cause of them, they would at once see how ridiculous it is to shut up 
wells, for fear the water should acquire an}?- noxious quality : and to 
use other superstitious precautions, which are a melancholy proof of 
ignorance and irreligion among men. Let us, therefore, endeavour to 
acquaint ourselves with this phenomenon, and the more so, because 
it is so remarkable in itself, and because it will furnish us with a new 
occasion to glorify our great Creator. 

An eclipse of the sun is an effect purely natural ; it is caused by 
the shadow which the moon projects upon the earth. But this 
cannot take place except when the moon, which is an opaque body, 
and naturally dark, comes nearly in a direct line between the sun and 
our earth. It then conceals a part, or the whole of the sun. The 
first is termed a partial, the second a total eclipse. Thus the solar 
eclipse is nothing else than the situation of the earth, when the 
moon's shadow falls upon it : and on this very account, this pheno- 
menon should be termed u,n eclipse of the earth. 



300 JUNE XXVIII. 



Eclipses of the sun and moon. 



We must not believe, that in this case the sun is really darkened ; 
it is only concealed for the time from us. This lummary still pre- 
serves his splendour : and all the change that takes place is, that the 
rays proceeding- from it, are prevented from reaching us by the body 
of the moon, which is then between the sun and our earth. Hence 
it is that a solar eclipse is never visible at the same time in all 
places of the earth. For unless the sun had really lost his light, the 
eclipse could not be seen in all places of the hemisphere at the same 
time : on the contrary, it is larger in some countries than in others ; 
and there are places where it is not visible at all. 

The moon not only darkens the earth sometimes, but the earth 
also casts its shadow upon the moon ; and thereby totally or partially 
intercepts the rays of the sun ; this phenom.enon is called an eclipse 
of the moon : but this can only happen when the moon is at one side 
of the earth, and the sun at the opposite side; and consequently 
when it is Sificll moon. Now as this planet is really obscured by the 
shadow of the earth : the eclipse is perceived at the same time trom 
every part of one hemisphere of our globe. 

Should the reader ask, of what use are the lunar and solar eclipses ? 
To those who do not estimate the utility of natural things merely by 
the sensible benefit which accrue from them, eclipses are of great 
importance. It is by their means we can determine the true situation 
of cities and countries, and trace, with the greatest exactness, maps of 
the most remote countries. Eclipses, well observed, tend to confirm 
chronology ; and direct the navigator, by showing him his longitudinal 
distances east or west. These advantages, however unimportant 
they may appear to some, are of great utility; and without them, the 
world would be deprived of a part of its happiness. 

As often as we see an eclipse of the sun or moon, let as think of 
the great events which shall take place on the last day. What terror 
shall then sieze the hearts of men, when they shall see the sun 
darkened, and the moon lose her light ! when the elements shall 
melt with fervent heat, and the heavens pass away with a great noise, 
2 Pet. iii. 10. O may we then be found fit to dwell in that glorious 
place, where the sun and the moon shall be no longer necessary ! 



JUNE XXIX. 

THE STALK OF WHEAT. 

We see the wheat springing up day by day ; and the tender- ear 
ripening insensibly, in order to furnish us in a few weeks with 
nourishing bread, that precious blessing granted by Providence to ttie 
labours of men. Let us cast our eyes over a field of wheat or 
barley, and endeavour to count the millions of ears which cover one 
single field ; and reflect on the wisdom of those laws which afford 
us such an abundance I How many preparations were necessary to 



JUNE XXIX. 3or 



The stalk of wheat. 



furnish us with this most indispensable of all nourishment! How- 
many progressive changes must take place in nature, before the ear 
can lift up its head ! Behold it now almost ready to nourish us with 
its fruit ; and it invites us to meditate on its structure. 

When the grain of wheat has been some time in the ground, it 
shoots up a stalk which rises perpendicularly; but it only grows 
gradually, that the grain may have time to ripen. It is for very wise 
reasons that it grows from four to five feet high ; to preserve it from 
the humidity of the ground, which would otherwise rot it. The 
height of the stalk contributes also to refine its nutritious juices, 
which it derives from the root ; and its round form favours this ope- 
ration ; for, by this means, the heat penetrates every part of the 
stem. But, how is it possible that so delicate a stem can support 
itself: and carry so many ears without sinking under the weight, or 
being beat down by the least blast of wind ? 

The Creator, in forming the stalk, took care to prevent all these 
inconveniencies. He has furnished it with four very strong knots, 
which serve as screws to keep it firm, without preventing its pliabi- 
lity. The structure of the knots manifests much wisdom. Like a 
very fine sieve, they are full of small holes, by means of which the 
sap arises and the heat of the sun penetrates. These pores attenuate 
the juices, which are collected in them ; and thus purify them by 
causing them to pass through these fine strainers. The stalk is lia- 
ble to be beaten down by tempests and heavy showers ; but its slen- 
derness is its security : it is flexible enough to bend without breaking. 
Were it more hard and stiff, it might indeed resist all such attacks, but 
how then could it afterward serve for beds to the poor ? 

By the side of the principal tube others spring up, not so tall, 
whose leaves, collecting the drops of rain and dew, furnish the plant 
with those nutritious juices, which are necessary for it. Meanwhile 
the ear, the essential part of the plant, is formed by little and little. 
To preserve these tender sprouts from dangers and accidents which 
might destroy them the moment of their birth, the two upper leaves 
of the stalk unite closely, not only to preserve the ears, but also to 
furnish them with the necessary nutritious juices. But as soon as 
the stem is sufficiently formed to supply the grain with juices of it- 
self, the leaves dry by degrees, that nothing may be taken away from 
the grain, and that the root may have nothing to nourish which is 
useless. When this scaffolding is removed, the building shows itself 
in its own beauty ; the bearded corn waves gracefully ; and its beard 
not only serves as an ornament, but also as a defence against the in- 
sults of birds. Refreshed with gentle rains, it flourishes till the ap- 
pointed time : gives the husbandman the most pleasing hopes ; ripens 
day by day ; till at last, bowing under the weight of its riches, its 
head falls under the sickle. 

What wonders of wisdom and power do we discover in the struc- 
ture of a stalk of corn ! Yet we seldom pay attention to it, because 
It is daily before our eyes. But what other proof of his goodness can 



302 JUNE XXIX. 



The stalk of wheat. 



the Creator give us, if we be unaffected with this ? Ungrateful and 
insensible man! Open thy heart to the sweet sensations of joy 'and 
gratitude ! As long as thou art capable of viewing a field of wheat 
with indifference, so long shalt thou be unworthy of the bread it so 
abundantly furnishes. Come and learn to think as a man ; taste that 
noblest pleasure which a mortal is capable of upon earth, that of 
discovering thy Creator in every thing he has formed. Then only 
shalt thou rise above the brute, and approach the felicity of the 
glorified children of God. 



JUNE XXX. 

THE BLIGHT. 

This is the name commonly given to those insects which are so nu- 
merous on the tops, stems, and leaves of plants, as sometimes to cover 
them entirely. There are nearly as many different species of these ani- 
mals as there are of plants; and they deserve our attention more than 
any other insect, because of the singularities which we discover in 
them. What distinguishes them from all known animals is, that they not 
only lay eggs, but bring forth young ones alive. As long as the fine 
weather lasts, they are viviparous, i. e. the young proceed from their 
mothers full of life, and perfectly formed ; doubtless because the plants 
at that time afford them sufficient nourishment. About the middle of 
autumn, they lay eggs; which, however, are not hatched, till the 
following spring ; because, if the young ones were produced sooner, 
they must die for lack of nourishment. 

At the very time when the female begins to lay, the male appears, 
which seems to intimate that his existence was not necessary before. 
This conjecture has been fully confirmed by experiments which 
have been made on these animals. If a young one be taken at the 
moment of its birth, and be put by itself in a glass, the anmial thus 
sequestered, will produce one just like itself, when it has acquired a 
certain degree of growth ; and at the end of a few weeks, it will be 
encompassed with a numerous family. If the experiment be re- 
peated on one of its young, and even on many generations, the re- 
sult will be the same ; which proves, that these animals engender of 
themselves without copulation. 

Let us also notice another singularity. In some sorts of insects 
the males have wings, and the females have none : but in these, both 
sexes are alike : both are produced with, or both without wings. 
Those which have wings are so small when compared with those that 
have none, that the latter walk over them as we see a gnat walk over 
fruit. This remarkable instance of what may be called singularities 
in nature, an example which differs so widely from com.mon rules, 
and in which, notwithstanding we may discover very wise designs, 
leads us naturally to ask. Why are there such singularities in nature ? 



JUNE XXX. 303 



The blight. 



And what could induce the Creator to depart sometimes from fixed 
laws? In order to answer this question in a satisfactory manner, we 
should be capable of comprehending the great whole of created things, 
to know at once all the parts of the immense kingdom of nature, and 
the connexion that is between them; to be able to judge in what, and 
how far each thing may be useful or injurious to the whole. 

But as such a profound knowledge is denied to our weak nature ; 
let Us content ourselves with some general reasons, which may, in 
some measure, serve to solve the proposed question. 1. God shows 
us, by these singularities, the command which he has over all nature. 
He is the Supreme Legislator, who assigns to each being the laws 
which it must inviolably observe. He to whom all beings must sub- 
mit, has a right to prescribe such and such rules to them : but he 
has power also to suspend his rules, and to make what exceptions to 
them he pleases. 2. We find a great variety throughout all nature, 
which furnishes us with reasons, both to admire the glory of the 
Creator, and to rejoice in the contemplation of his works. It is easy 
to perceive how much these exceptions to general rules increase this 
variety ; and consequently, the pleasure of the observer, as well as his 
admiration for the Author of nature. 3. Experience teaches us, that 
the objects which we have constantly before our eyes become fami- 
liar to us ; and their reiterated impressions leave us cold and in- 
different. The magnificent scene of nature does not always interest 
us : because we have acquired the habit of lightly passing by those 
things which we commonly see. Thus, each singularity, each extra- 
ordinary phenomenon, is a new invitation to contemplate the works 
of God ; and tends to awaken us from our indolence. 4. The singu- 
larities of the natural world, far from injuring the perfection of the 
whole, enter into the plan of Divine Wisdom ; and teach us, that 
the singularities of the moral world, and the different states of men, 
are equally under the direction of the All-wise Being, who v/ell knows 
how to govern and direct all things, so as to display the glory of his 
holy name. 



JUNE XXX * 

A HYMN ON THE WISDOM OF GOD. 

Sole object of my praises, I will glorify thee for ever. O my God ! 
Who is like unto thee, thou Most High ! For, from thee proceed 
wisdom, counsel and understanding. Grant, that my soul may be 
always attentive to the wisdom which shines in thy works : that I may 
join with angels in celebrating thy glories! 

Wheresoever I look, I discover nothing but beauty and harmony. 
What grandeur ! What magnificence ! Jehovah has created, he pre- 
serves, and he blesses ! His hand has fashioned this superb universer 
that he might fill it with happiness ! 



304 JUNE XXX.* 



A hymn on the wisdom of God. 



Thou hast hung up in this immense arch, the stars of the night, 
and the flambeau of the day, the inexhaustible source of light and 
heat. Thy hand alone guides and supports them through the immen- 
sity of space. 

Who is it that balances these enormous masses ? Who has taught 
our globe to swim in a flood of light ? What hand has directed the 
rays with so much wisdom, that they are useful without injuring us ; 
and that they warm and animate without consuming us ? 

Who has ordered the air, the principal of life and motion, to encom- 
pass our globe ? The vapours are collected ; they change into dew, 
rain, fertility, and blessings for men and animals. Who has formed 
the air, that it engenders lightnings, sends forth the winds, becomes 
the vehicle of sounds to the organs of hearing ; lifts up the light bird ; 
causes the fish to sv/im ; and renders our voices capable of celebrating 
thee, thou Most High ? 

Who has separated the dry land from the ocean which covered it ; 
and to render it fruitful has divided the waters ? Who collects and 
restrains them within the prescribed bounds ? Who says to the waves, 
Hitherto shalt thou come and no further ? 

Who supports the earth ; who plants the forests, and clothes the 
fields with herbage ? Who causes the corn and the vine to grow ? 
Who raises up the mountains ? Who digs these gulfs whence torrents 
of fire issue ? Who has placed minerals and metals in the depths of 
the earth ? 

Lord ! it is thy wisdom which enriches, adorns, supports, and blesses 
the world, peopled with so many different beings. My songs shall 
celebrate thee incessantly : I will bless thee as long as I live : let every- 
thing that has breath adore the only wise God ! Amen. 



JULY. 



JULY I. 

A HYMN IN PRAISE OF THE AUTHOR OF TTATURE. 

How great art thou, O Lord my God ! The earth proclaims thy 
majesty, and the heavens are the throne of thy glory. Thou hast said, 
Let them be ! and at thy command, they were extended in the immen- 
sity of space. 

The thunder causes thy praise to resound; and in formidable 
array thou walkest on the wings of the lightning ! I perceive thee in 
the splendour of the sun ; and see thee in the flowers which deck our 
fields 



JULY I. 305 



A hymn on the wisdom of God. 



Is there a god like unto our God ? — Who is it that walks on the 
winds ? Who holds the thunder in his hands ? Who commands the 
lightning to blaze through the forests ? 

It is thou, thou alone, Lord ! thousands of worlds glorify thee : 
thou hast given them their being ; but, at thy threatning, they flee 
away — are annihilated, or assume a new form. 

The whole creation is a temple erected to thy glory. In it thou 
hearest thy praises celebrated. Millions of celestial choirs adore 
thee with songs of thanksgiving. 

All celebrate thy glory^ from the seraphim, who behold thy face, 
to the most insignificant worm, which crawls on the earth. The 
creatures which now exis^, and those which are in embryo, are all 
under thy government, all submit to thy authority. 

What is man, that child of dust, that thou shouldst set thy heart 
upon him ! O God, in whom I put my trust, I adore and bless thee, 
for all the mercies I have received from thy hand. 

Thou hast placed me in a distinguished rank : the inhabitants of the 
sea, of the air, of the fields, and forests, are put under me ; all the 
creatures here below acknowledge thee for their sovereign. 

O Jehovah ! how magnificent is thy name ! thy praise resounds to 
the limits of the universe ; thy works proclaim thy glory from eter- 
nity to eternity! 



THE SAME IN VERSE. 

My God, how glorious is thy name ! 

The earth, the heav'ns declare thy fame, — 

Thy footstool, and thy throne. 
"Ye heav'ns exist!" thy mandate said; 
Through ample space the heav'ns were spread; 

Thou spak'st, and it was done. 

The thunder's voice, the lightning's wing, 
The splendid sun, — my God, my King, 

The fair unfolding flow'r,— 
Suns, lightnings, flowers, are full of thee : 
In earth, in heaven, in all, I see 

Tiiy majesty and pow'r. 

Upon the whh-lwind's wing, who rides'? 
The burning bolt of heav'n, who guides? 

What God can equal ours ! 
Whose phials, when the forest gleams, 
Diffusing wide th' electric streams, 

The lightning torrent pours. 

Thine, thine, Jehovah, thine alone !— 
Ten thousand world-s, around thy throne, 

39 



306 JULY I. 



A hymn on the wisdom of God. 



Depend upon thy word. 
Thou firownest ;— see, they all disperse? 
Thou smilest ; — see, the universe, 

With all its worlds, restor'd ! 

Erected by almighty hsuids, 
A temple for thy glory, stands 

This universe sublime : 
All being pours thy praises forth ; — 
The creeping reptiles on the earth, — 

The burning seraphim. 

Heav'iVs millions hymn thy name on high. 
Inhabitants of yon fair sky, 

Who all thy glories see ; 
Not less obseqmous to thy nod, 
The embryon worm obeys its God ; — 

All being bows to Thee ! 

Ah, what is man, frail child of dust ! 
That thou in whom I dare to trust,— 

Tliat thou, Immortal Kino ! 
Should'st call him forth thy love to share ^ 
Thy mercies how can I declare, 

Or how thy goodness singi 

Exalted by thy sov'reign hand, 
Myself a sov'reign, lo, I stand, 

And see, beneath my feet, 
My subjects of the air, and sea, 
Of fields, and forests, bow to me, 

And to my sway submit. 

O how magnificent thy name I 
Jehovah, hifinite tlay fame ! 

Creation's ample round 
Shall echo thy supernal praise. 
And tiniversal nature's lays 

Eternally resound. 



JULY I * 

FOREIGN PLANTS. 



All our differents kind of corn, and a great number of our vegeta- 
bles, derive their origin from strange countries, commonly warmer 
than ours. Most of them oome from Italy; Italy had them from 
Greece; and Greece from the East, When ATnerica was discovered. 



JULY I.* 307 



Foreign plants. 



a multitude of plants and flowers, hitherto unknown, were then found, 
and transported into Europe, where they have been cultivated with 
much success. Even now the English are at a great deal of trouble 
to cultivate several North American productions in their own coun- 
try- 

The greater part of the different kinds of corn, which make the 
best nourishment both for man and beast, are grass plants ; but, though 
they at present cover our fields, they are nevertheless exotics. Rye 
and wheat are natives of Little Tartary and Siberia, where they still 
grow without cultivation. Whence barley and oats come, we know 
not ; but are sure they are not natives of our countries ; were it 
otherwise, they would not require cultivation. Rice is a production 
of Ethiopia, w^hence it was first carried into the East, and afterwards 
into Italy. Since the commencement of the eighteenth century, it 
has been cultivated in America ; and at present they send vessels an- 
nually into Europe laden with this useful grain. The French, or 
buck wheat, comes originally from Asia ; the Crusaders brought it to 
Italy ; whence the Germans received it. 

Most of our vegetables have a similar origin. Borage comes from 
Syria ; cresses from Crete ; the cauliflower from Cyprus ; and aspara- 
gus from Asia. We are indebted to Italy for the chervil ; to Portu- 
gal and Spain for the dill ; for fennel to the Ca7iaries ; and for anise 
and parsley to Egypt ; garlic is a production of the East ; cives came 
from Siberia, and radislies from China. For the kidneybean we are 
indebted to the East Indies ; for the gourd to Astracan ; for lentils to 
France, and for potatoes to Brazil. The Spaniards brought tobacco 
into Europe in 1530, from Tobaca, a province of Yucatan, in New Spain. 

The ornaments of our gardens, the most beautiful flowers, are all 
foreign productions. Jessamine comes from the East Indies ; the Span' 
ish alder from Persia ; the tulip from Cappadocia ; the narcisstts from 
Italy ; the lily from Syria ; the tuberose from Jo.va and Ceylon ; the 
pink from Italy ; the aster from China, &c. 

Let us acknowledge, with gratitude, these various presents from 
heaven. With what goodness has the Lord provided for our plea- 
sure and happiness; in rendering even the m.ost distant countries 
tributary to us ! But let us learn also to know the constitution of the 
globe on which we dwell. There is a universal transmigration upon 
the earth. Men, animals, and vegetables, are transplanted from one 
region to another. And this transmigration shall end only with our 
globe. 

Into whatever part of the world it may please thee, O Lord, to 
transport me, may I endeavour to act uprightly, and bring forth fruit, 
not only for the good of my contemporaries, but also of posterity ; 
until I arrive in those regions of bliss and perfection, where nothing 
shall be subject to change ! 



508 JULY 11. 



The metamorphosis of the caterpillars. 



JULY II. 

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE CATERPILLARS. 

The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is certainly one 
of the most curious phenomena of nature : and highly merits our 
attention. The manner in which caterpillars prepare themselves for 
their change is truly astonishing. They do not immediately become 
butterflies ; but they pass to it through a middle state. After having 
cast their skins three or four times, they strip ofl" their last coat, and 
become a substance, which in no respect resembles a living creature. 
They then wrap themselves up in a hard shelly covering, called the 
chrysalis or aurelia^ and which somewhat resembles a child in its 
swaddling clothes. In this state they continue two or three weeks, 
sometimes six or ten months, till at length they issue from this spe- 
cies of sepulchre, under the form of butterflies. 

There are properly two kinds of butterflies, the wings of the one 
are raised, those of the others lie flat. The first fly during the day, 
the latter during the night. The caterpillars of the nocturnal but- 
terflies, or phalence, spin themselves a cone, and shut themselves in 
it when the time of their transformation approaches. Those which 
are to be diurnal butterflies, hang themselves in the open air to a 
tree, a plant, a lath, a wall, or some such thing. In order to this, 
they make themselves a very small web, with very fine thread ; and 
then turning themselves upside down, they suspend themselves so 
that their head inclines a little towards the top. Some caterpillars, 
and especially the hairy, or prickly ones, continue suspended in this 
state perpendicularly, with the head downward. Others spin them- 
selves a thread which goes round the middle of their bodies, and is 
fastened at both sides. In one or other of these two ways, all the 
diurnal butterflies prepare themselves for the grand change which 
they are to undergo. Thus, the two species of caterpillars, the di- 
urnal and the phalense, bury themselves alive, so to speak, and seem 
to wait patiently the end of their caterpillar state, as if they foresaw 
that, after a short repose, they should receive a new existence, and 
should manifest themselves under a splendid form. 

The death and resurrection of the just cannot be better compared 
than to the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly. To 
genuine Christians, death is only a species of sleep ; a sweet rest 
after the pains and miseries of this life ; a moment, during which, they 
are deprived of life and motion, only that they may appear after- 
ward with more glory, and enter into a new and better state of ex- 
istence. 

What is a caterpillar ? A blind, creeping, despicable worm, which, 
while it drags on its life, is exposed to an infinity of accidents and per- 
secutions : — and has man a better state in this world ? 

The caterpillar prepares itself with the greatest care for its change, 
and for that state of inaction and weakness, in which, for a short time, 



JULY II. 309 



The metamorphosis of the caterpillars. 



it must remain. It is exactly the same with a true believer. Before 
death comes, he prepares for this great revolution ; and he waits, 
with tranquillity and joy, the happy moment in which he shall enter 
into a better state. 

The sleep of the caterpillar does not last for ever, it is only the 
forerunner of a new perfection. After its change, it appears in a 
more pleasing and splendid form. First it creeps upon the ground ; 
afterward it springs up, and mounts into the air, by means of its wings. 
At first it was blind; now it is provided with good eyes, and enjoys a 
thousand pleasing sensations which were unknown to it before. 
Lately it stupidly confined itself to a very gross nourishment. At 
present, it goes from flower to flower, lives on honey and dew, and 
varies its pleasures continually. 

In all this we may observe a lively emblem of the death and resur- 
rection of a righteous man. His weak and earthly body shows itself 
after the resurrection in a brilliant, glorious, and perfect state. As a 
mortal man he was attached to the earth, subject to various passions, 
and occupied with sensual and terrestrial objects. But, after the re- 
surrection, his body is no longer confined to the earth, he soars above 
thousands of worlds ; and, with a steady and penetrating eye, he takes 
in all nature at one view. His soul rises infinitely higher still, he 
approaches the Deity, and is absorbed in the most sublime medita- 
tions. Before his death, he was comparatively blind in his search 
after truth ; now he sees and can contemplate its greatest lustre. His 
body being spiritual, glorious, and incorruptible, he no longer desires 
gross aliments to satisfy his hunger and thirst : different sensations 
constitute his felicity at present; he lives on heavenly food, and his 
heart overflows with unmixed joy. 

Reader, does not this teach thee an important lesson ? If this be 
the glorious change thou expectest, make a timely and effectual pre- 
paration for it. " If our present state be but transitory and imper- 
fect, let us not make it our chief object, nor our end- Let not the 
few moments we have here appear to us with 'the consequence of 
eternity 1" 



JULY III, 



THE SILKWORM. 



The ge7Lus of caterpillars, which is divided into general classes, one 
of which comprehends the diurnal, the other the nocturnal butter- 
flies, is farther divided into different families, each of which has its 
distinct characteristics and properties. To one of these families, the 
appellation of silkwor^n is given. This caterpillar, like the other, is 
composed of several moveable rings ; and is well provided with feet 
and claws to catch hold, and fix itself wherever it pleases. It has 
two rows of teeth, which do not act upwards and downwards as ours 



310 JULY III. 



The silkworm. 



do, but from right to left, which it uses to saw, cut, and slope out 
the leaves. All along the back, we may see through its skin a vessel, 
which seems to contract and dilate at intervals; and which performs 
the functions of the heart. At each side, this animal has nine orifi- 
ces, which answer to so many lungs, and assist the circulation of the 
chyle, or nutritive juice. 

Under the mouth it has a sort of reel^ with two holes, from which 
it emits two drops of gum, with which its bag is filled. These are 
like two distaffs, which continually furnish the matter of which it 
makes its thread. The gum which runs through the two orifices, 
takes that form and lengthens out into a double thread, which imme- 
diately loses the fluidity of the liquor of which it was formed, and 
acquires the consistence necessary to support or v/rap up the worm 
when the proper time is come. It connects the two threads into one, 
gluing them together by means of its fore-paws. This double thread, 
notwithstanding it is very fine, is nevertheless strong, and of an asto- 
nishing length. Each is formed of a thread 500 German ells long. 
And as this thread is double through its whole length, each cone 
contains 1000 ells, the whole of which weighs only two grains and a 
half I 

The life of this animal, while it is in its caterpillar state, is very 
short. Nevertheless, it passes through diflferent states, which in- 
sensibly bring it to perfection. When it comes out of the Q,gg it is 
extremely small and perfectly black ; but its head is of a more shin- 
ing black than the rest of its body. Some days after it begins to 
grow whitish, or of a dark grey : afterward its coat becomes dirty 
and ragged : then it throws it off, and appears in a new dress. It now 
becomes much larger and whiter, but a little tinged with green, be- 
cause it feeds on green leaves. After a few days, the number of 
which varies according to the degree of heat, and the nature of its 
food, it ceases to eat, sleeps nearly two days, then frets, and is ex- 
ceedingly agitated, becomes almost red with the efforts it makes : its 
skin wrinkles and shrivels up ; it then throws it off a second time, 
and throws it aside with its feet. Thus, in three weeks, or a month, 
it has two new dresses. It begins then to eat afresh, and might pass 
for another animal ; its head, colour, and whole form, being so very 
different frdm what they were before. 

After having fed for a few days, it falls again into a kind of lethargy, 
in recovering from which it once more changes its garments. This 
is the third skin it has thrown off since it came out of the shell. It 
continues to eat a little longer ; then, renouncing all food, it prepares 
itself a retreat, and draws off its reel a thread, with which it covers 
itself in. the same manner as we would wind thread about an oval 
piece of wood. This covering consists of threads of silk extremely 
fine. It rests quietly in the cone which it has spun : and at the end 
of fifteen days it eats its way out, if it be not killed by being exposed 
to the heat of the sun, or that of an oven. The silk cones are 
thrown into warm water, and stirred about with twigs, to remove the 



JULY III. 311 



The silkworm. 



loose threads ; and then the silk is wound off on a reel, made express- 
ly for the purpose. 

Thus, it is to a worm or caterpillar that we owe the luxury of 
our clothing. By means of that liquor, whence it derives its thread, 
it furnishes us with silk and velvet. This reflection is well calculated 
to humble us. What ! can we be vain of the silk we wear ? — Let us 
consider to whom we owe it, and how little we ourselves contribute 
to that which ministers to our vanity. Let us consider, that even the 
most despicable things have been created for the use and gratification 
of man. A worm, which we can scarcely deign to honour with a 
look, becomes a blessing to whole provinces ; a considerable object 
of commerce, and a source of riches. 

Many persons resemble the silkworm in this : they pass a great 
part of their lives in feeding their bodies : but how few of them ren- 
der themselves useful to the world by their labours ? Let us hence- 
forward consecrate, with a noble zeal, our strength and talents to the 
good of our fellow creatures ; and incessantly labour to render them 
happy. 



JULY IV. 

THE RAINBOW. 

When the sun darts his rays on the drops of water that fall from 
a cloud, and when we are so placed that our backs are towards the 
sun, and have the cloud before us, then we see a rainbow. The 
drops of rain may be considered as small transparent globes, on 
which the rays fall, and are twice refracted, and once reflected : 
hence the colours of the rainbow, which are seven in number, and 
are arranged in the f(»llowing order ; red, orange, yellow, gree7i, blue, 
indigo, and violet. These colours appear so much the more vivid as 
the cloud behind is darker, and the drops of rain fall thick and fast. 
The drops falling continually, produce a new rainbow every moment ; 
and as each spectator has his particular situation, from which he ob- 
serves this phenomenon, it so happens, that no two men, properly 
speaking, can see the same rainbow. This meteor can last no longer 
than the drops of rain continue to fall. 

If we consider the rainbow merely as a phenomenon of nature, it 
is one of the finest sights imaginable. It is the most beautiful co- 
loured picture which the Creator has placed before our eyes. But, 
when we recollect that God has made this meteor a sign of his mercy, 
and of the covenant which he has condescended to enter into with 
man ; then we shall find matter in it for the most edifying reflection. 
When the rain is general, there can be no rainbow : as often, there- 
fore, as we see this beautiful meteor, we may conclude, with cer- 
tainty, that we need fear no deluge ; for to effect one, there must be 
a violent rain from all parts of the heavens at once. Thus, when 



312 JULY IV. 



The rainbow. 



the sky is only covered on one side with clouds, and the sun is seen 
in the other, it is a proof that these gloomy clouds shall be shortly dis- 
persed, and the heavens become serene. Hence it is that a rainbow 
cannot be seen, unless the sun be behind, and the rain before us. In 
order to the formation of the bow, it is necessary that the sun and the 
rain should be seen at the same time. If the sky be too bright, no co- 
lours can be seen ; therefore, where this phenomenon appears, the 
horizon must be covered with dark clouds. Besides, there can be no 
coloured bow without the action of the sun, and the refraction of his 
rays. All these considerations should naturally lead us to pious re- 
flections. 

As often as we see the heavens adorned with the beautiful colours 
of this bow, should we not say to ourselves, How great is the majesty 
of God in every thing his hands have formed ! How great is his good- 
ness towards his creatures ! Still we see that God remembers the 
world in mercy. Let all mankind bow before and adore him who 
keeps his covenant, and fulfils his merciful promises. He has not as 
yet destroyed the world ; and he never will drown it. Let his name 
be adored and blest to all eternity ! 

But there is another reflection which the rainbow should lead us 
to make : when we see it, we have the rain in our face, and the sun 
behind us^. This is an emblem of life : — our faces may be bathed 
with tears, yet the Sun of Eighteousness shall rise upon us with heal- 
ing in his wings. Malachi^ iv. 2. 



JULY V. 

birds' nests. 

The construction of nests shows us a multitude of remarkable ob- 
jects, which cannot be considered with indifference by a reflecting mind, 
that delights in information. 

Who can help admiring those little regular edifices, composed of so 
many different materials, collected and arranged with so much skill 
and labour ; constructed with so much industry, elegance, and neat- 
ness ; without any other tools than a beak and two feet ! It is not as- 
tonishing that man can erect great edifices according to all the rules 
of art ; especially when we consider that these artists are endued with 
reason, and that they have instruments and materials in abundance. 
But, that a bird, which is destitute of almost every requisite for such 
a work ; which has only its bill and feet, should, notwithstanding, be 
capable of uniting so much address, regularity, and solidity in con- 
structing its nest, is what cannot be too much admired. But this de- 
serves to be more particularly considered. 

Nothing is more wonderful than the nest of a gold-Jinch. The in- 
side is lined with cotton, fur, and fine silky thread. The outside is 
formed of thick moss : and that the nest may be less remarkable, and 



JULY V. 313 



Birds' nests. 



less exposed to the eyes of passengers, the colour of the moss cho- 
sen for the purpose, resembles that of the bark of the tree or bush 
in which the nest is built. There are some nests in which the hair, 
down, straw, &c., are curiously crossed and interwoven. There are 
others, the pieces of which are neatly joined, and tied together with 
a thread, which the bird makes out of fur, hemp, hair, but more 
commonly with spiders' webs. Other birds, as the blackbird and 
lapiving, after having made their nests, plaster them with a thin coat 
of mortar, which connects and fastens all that is below, and which, by 
the help of a little down or moss, which they attach to the mortar 
whiie soft, is very proper to render the nest warm. Swalloivs'' nests 
are of a very different structure from all others. They need neither 
wood, hay, nor flax. They understand how to make a kind of plas- 
ter, or cement, with which they form for themselves and ail their 
family, a neat, secure, and convenient lodging. In order to moisten 
the dust, of which they make their nest, they pass and repass close 
to the surface of the water, and wet their breasts ; then with the dew^ 
which they sprinkle over the dust, they saturate it sufficiently, and 
work it up with their bills. 

But the nests which deserve to be admired most, are those of cer- 
tain Indian birds, which they artfully suspend to the branches of 
trees, to defend them from the ravages of several animals and insects. 
Each species of birds has its peculiar manner of placing its nest. 
Some place them in houses, others in trees. Some under the grass, 
some in the earth, but always in such a manner as may best contri- 
bute to their security, the rearing of their young, and the preserva- 
tion of their species. 

Such is the wonderful instinct of birds in the construction and dis- 
position of their nests : and from this may we not certainly conclude, 
that they are not simple machines ? How much industry and under- 
standing, cunning and sagacity, activity and patience, do they manifest, 
in the construction of their nests ! And is it not evident,' that in their 
work they propose to themselves certain ends ? They make their 
nest like a hollow hemisphere, that the heat may be the better con- 
tained in it. The outside of the nest is covered with matters more 
or less coarse, not only to serve as a foundation, but also to keep out 
the wind, and prevent the entrance of insects. The inside is lined 
with more delicate materials, such as wool, feathers, &c., so that their 
young may lie soft and warm. 

Is it not a species of reason that teaches the bird to place her nest 
so as to be sheltered from the rain, and out of the reach of rapacious 
animals ? Where has she learned that she is to have eggs, and that 
there must be a nest to prevent them from falling to the ground, and 
to keep them warm. Wlio taught her that the nest must not be 
too large, as the heat would not then be properly concentrated about 
the eggs ? and that it . must not be too small, because, in that case, 
there would not be room sufficient to hold the young ? How does 
she know to make the nest in just proportion to the number of the 

40 



314 JULY V. 



Birds' nests. 



young who are to be hatched? Who has taught her the exact tnne, 
and to calculate so correctly, that she never lays her eggs before her 
nest is finished ? All that has been said hitherto, in answer to these, 
and similar questions, is quite unsatisfactory ; and does not account 
for these mysteries of nature. We have not a sufficient knowledge of 
the souls of animals, to answer such queries. 

But, however it may be, and of whatever nature the faculties of 
birds are, it is at least certain that they are the effect of a wise and 
powerful cause. And as the animals have not a capacity to know 
their Creator, let us use the reason with which he has endowed us, 
to increase continually in divine knowledge ; employing all our facul- 
ties to glorify our omniscient Creator ! 



JULY VI. 

NATTTRE AN UNFAILING SOURCE OF PLEASURE. 

Let us turn our eyes to whatever part of the creation we please, 
we every where find something that interests either our senses, our 
imagination, or our reason. 

Universal nature is formed to present us with a multitude of plea- 
sing objects, and to procure those varied pleasures which continually 
succeed each other. The taste we have for variety is continually 
excited, and always gratified. There is no part of the day but brings 
new pleasures, either to our senses or imagination. While the sun 
is above the horizon, plants, animals, and a thousand pleasing objects 
attract our notice ; and when the curtains of the night are let down, 
the majesty of the firmament transports and charms us. Every 
where nature labours to surprise us with new pleasures. The smal- 
lest worm, a leaf, or a grain of sand, presents us with subjects of ad- 
miration. 

Blind and stupid we must be, if we are not struck with that infinite 
diversity, and do not acknowledge in it the goodness of the Creator. 
The same spring that waters the valley, quenches our thirst, pleases 
our ear, and invites us to sleep. The shady forest, which defends 
us from the intense heat of the sun, where we find such delicious 
coolness, and where we hear the varied melody of so many birds, 
nourishes also a multitude of animals, which are, themselves, food for 
us. The same trees, whose blossoms delighted our eyes a fev/ 
months ago, will soon produce delicious fruits ; and the fields, now 
covered with waving corn, will soon furnish us, with plentiful crops. 

Nature presents us with no object which is useful to us in one re- 
spect only. Providence has kindly chosen the green colour, which 
is so refreshing and friendly to the eye, to be the covering of the 
whole earth. This of itself would be sufficient to cheer our sight ; 
but variety has added new charms to it : hence that skilful blending 
of colour, those different gradations of light and shade, and those dif- 



JULY VI. 315 



Nature aii unfailing source of pleasure. 



ferent degrees of green, from the brightest to the most dark. Every 
family of plants has its peculiar and constant colour. Landscapes 
covered with woods, brambles, pulse, grass, and corn, present us 
with a magnificent picture, where the tints of green are infinitely 
diversified, crossing and intersecting each other, and blending them- 
selves so as to be insensibly melted into each other, and yet always 
in perfect harmony. I 

Every month of the year presents us with different plants and new 
flowers. Those which have served their purpose are replaced by 
others ; and all coming in succession, prevent any void in the vegeta- 
ble kingdom. 

But, to whom do we owe all these numerous and diversified pre- 
sents ? Who is it that provides for our wants and pleasures with so 
much goodness and munificence ? 

" Go and ask universal nature : the hills and the vallies will tell 
thee: the earth points him out; and the heavens are a mirror, in 
which we may view his glories. Storms and tempests proclaim him, 
the voice of thunder, the rainbow, the snow and the rain, publish his 
wisdom and goodness. The green meads, the fields covered with 
ripe corn ; the mountains covered with forests, which lift their heads 
above the clouds ; the trees laden with fruit ; the gardens enamelled 
with flowers, and the rose with its brilliant dress, all bear the im- 
press of his hands. The birds celebrate him with their melodious 
notes. The bounding flocks ; the stag in the midst of the forests ; the 
worm of the earth ; the whale, the king of the seas, that spouts the 
waves on high, overturning and drowning ships ; the terrible croco- 
dile ; and that moving mountain, the majestic elephant, the carrier of 
lowers ; all the innumerable host of animals which people the air, the 
earth, and the sea, declare the existence, and proclaim the glory of 
the strong God." 

How unpardonable should we be were we deaf to this general 
voice of nature ! Let us, who are so favoured as to be the specta- 
tors of the wonders of our God, come and render him (in the pre- 
sence of his creatures) that homage, gratitude, and adoration, which 
he has so just a right to claim from us. Let us not shut our ears 
against the voice of his grace ! Let us not harden our hearts against 
the kind invitations of his -goodness I Let us look around us ; every 
thing brings his kindness to our remembrance ; every thing prompts 
us to gratitude and joy. The rich lands, where our nourishment 
grows, the fields where the flocks feed, the forests which provide 
both shelter and fuel, the 'heavens which cover and enlighten us ; all, 
all invite us to grateful joy. Let praise fill our whole souls. Let a 
due sense of our advantages, and the mercies of our God, accompany 
VIS both in public and in private. We shall find that no satisfac- 
tion is more solid, durable, or more suitable to human nature, than a 
calm pleasure which a contemplation of the works of the Lord afford. 
The more we study the beauties of nature, the more we shall be 
persuaded that God is a being- of mercy and love ; and that the Chris^' 



316 JULY VI. 



Nature an unfailing source of pleasure. 



tian religion is a source of joy, and a continual motive to gratitude 
and adoration. 



JULY VII. 

REFLECTIONS ON A FLOWER GARDEN. 

Let us now take a view of the flower garden, and consider the 
numerous and diversified beauties which are collected in so small a 
space. The art and industry of man have made it a superb theatre 
of the most beautiful flowers. But what would this garden be with- 
out care and cultivation ! A wild desert, producing nothing but thorns 
and thistles. Such is youth, when a proper education is neglected. 
But when young persons receive the necessary instructions early, 
and are brought under proper discipline, they are like lovely flowers, 
whose appearance is now delightful, and who will shortly bring forth 
fruit useful to society. 

Behold the 7iight violet, which, towards evening, scents our gardens 
with its perfume ! All other odours are absorbed in this. But it has 
no beauty, and scarcely resembles a flower.- It is small, and of a gray 
colour, inclining to green, so that it scarcely can be distinguished from 
the leaves. Modest without show or pretensions, it perfumes the 
whole garden, though it can scarcely be noticed in the multitude, and 
it is difficult to believe that a flower of so mean appearance can pro- 
duce an odour so sweet and pleasing. It resembles a person who is 
not beautiful, but who has a fine understanding, and whose outward 
deficiency Providence has amply compensated by the most durable 
gifts. The righteous man often does good in secret, and diffuses all 
around him the odour of good works. And when we wish to be 
acquainted with this beneficent man, we find that there is nothing 
peculiarly distinguishing in his external appearance or rank. 

But in the carnation, both beauty and a fine scent are united ; and 
it is, without doubt, the most beautiful of all flowers. It almost equals 
the tulip in its colours, and it surpasses it in the multitude of its leaves 
and in the elegance of its form. A little bed of carnations perfumes 
a whole flower garden. This flower is the emblem of a person in 
whom sense and beauty are united, and who knows how to conciliate 
the love and respect of his fellow-creatures. 

Let us now observe the rose : its colour, form,, and scent, are all 
pleasing ; but it appears to be the most weak and transitory of all : 
it soon loses those charms which distinguish it from other flowers. 
This is a useful lesson to those who have great beauty ; and from 
which they learn not to trust in their charms, or be vain of their 
short lived excellence. 

In general, it is a melancholy thing to see the ground, in this beau- 
tiful season, covered with so many fallen, withered flowers. But we 
should not complain that Providence has given so little stability t<> 



JULY Yll. 317 



Reflections on a flower garden. 



flowers. The world is a great theatre, on which the same actors do 
not always appear ; it is right that those who have acted their part, 
should go off the stage to make way for others. The diversity of 
the works of God requires this ; and the diversity constitutes a great 
part of their perfection. Besides, the charms of novelty affect us 
most, therefore the former objects should give place to new ones. If 
the flowers preserved their splendour for a whole year, they would 
not please us so well as they now do by lasting only a few months. 
Their absence causes us to long for their return ; on the contrary, 
their continual presence would satiate and disgust us. After having 
considered an object in all points of view, we have in some sort ex- 
hausted its beauties, begin to feel indifference to it, and then aspire 
after new pleasures. The variety and continual succession of earthly 
goods, is a mean which Providence employs to make our lives con- 
tinually pleasant. 

Such is worldly happiness. All flesh is grass, and the glory of man 
is like the flower of the field; the grass withereth, and the flower 
falleth off. The lilies and roses of a beautiful face wither, as well as 
the flowers of the garden ; and death leaves no vestige of them be- 
hind. Let us therefore wisely seek rest and happiness in solid and 
eternal good. Wisdom, piety, and the blessings of genuine Chris- 
tianity, never fade. They are the inexhaustible sources of an endless 

joy- 



JULY VIII. 

THE PHENOMENA OF A THUNDER STORM. 

However formidable the phenomena of a thunder storm may be, 
they have something so grand and remarkable in them, that the dif- 
ferent effects produced by them deserve well to be examined. This 
examination is the more necessary, as we are often prevented, by ex- 
cessive fear, from considering this majestic spectacle with sufficient 
attention. 

When a stormy cloud, which is no other than a collection of va- 
pours strongly electrified, approaches near enough to a tower, or a 
house, or to an unelectrified cloud, so that a spark issues from it, that 
explosion takes place which we term a clap of thunder. The light- 
ning which we see is the electric fire, or, as some call it, the thunder- 
bolt. Sometimes we see only a sudden and momentary flash ; at other 
times we see a train of fire in a zigzag form. The explosion which 
accompanies the lightning, shows that the vapours which form the 
thunder, being suddenly agitated and inflamed, dilate the air with 
violence. 

After each electric spark, a clap is heard : this is the thunder, which 
is sometimes composed of many claps, or is prolonged and multiplied 
by echoes. There is always some interval between the flash and the 



31S JULY VIIL 



The phenomena of a thunder storm. 



clap, and this may, in some degree, enable us to judge of the great- 
ness and imminency of the danger, for it requires a certain space of 
time for the sound to reach our ear from the place of the cloud ; 
whereas, the lightning reaches our sight with inconceivable rapidity. 
As soon, therefore, as we perceive the lightning, v/e have only to 
count the seconds on our watch, or feel how often our pulse beats 
between the flash and the clap. Whoever can count about ten pulsa- 
tions, or seconds, from the time he has seen the lightning till he hears 
the thunder, is a quarter of a league distant from the thunder cloud : 
for it is calculated that the sound takes the time of forty pulsations 
to pass through the space of a league. 

Lightning does not always proceed in a right line ; it often winds 
about in all directions, takes a zigzag form, and sometimes does not 
flash till very near the ground. The matter of the lightning which 
reaches the earth, or is ignited near to it, never fails to strike. But, 
sometimes it has not a sufficiency of strength to reach us, and, like a 
bomb ill charged, it is dissipated in the atmosphere, and does no evil. 
When, on the contrary, the ignited exhalations come near the ground, 
they make terrible havoc. But as deserts, and uncultivated places, 
and places where there are neither houses nor inhabitants, occupy 
the largest part of our globe ; consequently, the lightning may fall 
many thousands of times without doing any real damage. The course 
of the lightning is peculiarly singular, and cannot be ascertained. It 
depends on the direction of the winds, the quantity of exhalations, 
the state of the earth beneath, and other circumstances. 

Lightning goes in all directions, wherever it may meet with com- 
bustible matter. As one grain of a train of gunpowder, being igni- 
ted, communicates the flame to all the rest, till the whole train is set 
on fire; so lightning proceeds on combustible matter, consuming 
every thing it meets with. 

We may form some judgment of the power of lightning by the 
prodigious effects it produces. The heat of the flame is so intense, 
that it burns and consumes all combustible bodies ! it melts metallic 
substances, but often leaves uninjured the matters in which they were 
contained, when they are so porous as to give it a free passage. It 
is owing to the velocity of lightning that the bones of men and animals 
are calcined without the flesh being hurt : that the most solid build- 
ings are beat down; that trees are cloven, or torn up by the roots; 
the thickest walls pierced through ; and stones and rocks are often 
broken, and reduced to powder. 

Let us seriously reflect on these strange and formidable pheno- 
mena. How many wonders does one thunder storm exhibit! We 
see a black and a gloomy cloud ; but this is the tabernacle of the 
Most High : it descends towards the earth ; but it is the Lord who 
bows the heavens, and comes down, having the darkness under his 
feet. (2 Sam. xxii. 10.) The wind arises, the storm begins ; but it 
is God who is in the whirlwind ; for he walketh on the wings of the 
wind. (Psrt. civ. 3.) At his command the clouds are dispersed 



JULY VIII. 319 



The phenomena of a thunder storm. 



and the hail, the lightning, and the thunder, fly abroad. Hear atten- 
tively the terrible sounds of his voice, and the threatening which pro- 
ceeds from his mouth. He darts his lightning from one end of heaven 
to the other, and his light to the extremities of the earth ! Then a ter- 
rible voice is heard ; the thunder roars, and the blow is already struck, 
before even the lightning is perceived. {Job, xxvii. 2 — 4.) The Lord 
thunders in the heavens, he darts forth his lightnings, and sends them 
hither and thither : but though his terrible fires alarm the universe, his 
beneficent hand abundantly nourishes all his creatures 



JULY IX. 

THE ANTS. 

The ants, as well as the bees, may be considered as a little 
republic, which has its peculiar government, law, and police. They 
live in a Sort of city, divided into various streets ; all of which termi- 
nate at different magazines. Their diligence and industry in procur- 
ing and using the materials they require for the construction of their 
ant-hills, are admirable. They all unite in digging the earth, and car- 
rying it afterward out of their habitation. They collect a great 
quantity of stubble, grass, and twigs ; of which they form a heap. At 
first sight, this appears very irregular ; but in the midst of this appa- 
rent disorder, much art may be discovered, when it is examined with 
attention. Under the domes, or little hills which cover them, and 
which are always so contrived as to throw off the water, there are gal- 
leries which communicate with each other, and may be considered as 
the streets of this little city. 

But what is most remarkable is, the care the ants take of iheir 
eggs, of the worms which come out of them, and of the nymphas 
which are formed from the latter. They carry them carefully from 
one place to another ; they feed their young, and remove, with the 
most tender solicitude, whatever might injure them. They even 
take care to maintain a proper degree of warmth around them. 
Their severe labour to collect provisions during the summer, has 
principally for its object the support of their young ; for, as to them- 
selves, they have no need of nourishment during winter, since they 
continue asleep, or in a state of insensibility, till the return of the 
spring. As soon as their young come out of the eggs, they are em- 
ployed in feeding them ; and this gives them a great deal of trouble ; 
for, in general, they have many houses, and they carry their little ones 
from one habitation to some other, which they design to people. Ac- 
cording as the weather is hot or cold, wet or dry, they bring their 
chrysalises towards the surface of the earth, or carry them downward. 
In mild weather, they bring them near the surface ; and sometimes, 
after rain, they even expose them to the sun, or to a gentle dew, 
after a long drought. But when night, cold, or rain, approaches, 



320 JULY IX. 



The ants. 



they take their dear nurslings in their paws, and descend so far in 
the ground, that one is obliged to dig more thanL a foot deep in order 
to find them. 

There are several species of these insects. The wood-ants never 
dwell but in forests and thickets, and do no damage to the fields. 
There are two sorts of these, the one red, the other black. Some of 
them lodge in the ground, in dry places, and ordinarily choose those 
parts where they find the roots of fir or birch trees, and there fix 
their habitation. Others establish themselves in old trunks of trees, 
high enough above ground to be out of the reach of its humidity. 
They make themselves apartments in the cavities of the trunk, and 
cover them with straw and such like matters, to shelter them from 
the rain and snow. 

The field-ants are also either red or black, like the former, but 
much smaller : they settle either in cornfields, or common pastura- 
ges. In dry weather, they bury themselves very deep ; but in rainy 
weather, they elevate their habitations more or less, according to the 
degree of moisture : but when this abates, they fail not to return to 
their former subterranean habitations. It is farther worthy of ob- 
servation, that the ants acquire wings ; and that towards autumn they 
are seen in great multitudes hovering over ditches, ponds, &c. 

" But do such mischievous insects deserve our notice, v/hich make 
such havoc in our fields and meadows ? By their operations under 
ground, they make the earth hollow, tear it up, and hinder plants 
and vegetables from growing." They are still farther censured. 
" Ants," it is said, " are enemies to bees and silkworms ; do much 
damage to flowers, and injure the roots of young trees." It is 
farther affirmed, that " they devour the buds and shoots, and that, in 
getting under the bark of trees, they gnaw them to the quick, and 
destroy their growth." Hence it is, that they are so cruelly perse- 
cuted and destroyed, wheresoever they are found. If the ants col- 
lected honey, though it were at the expense of a million of other 
creatures, they would, notwithstanding, be highly valued : but, be- 
cause their labours injure a few useful plants, Ave imagine ourselves 
authorized to exterminate them. But supposing even that they do 
some hurt, are they the less worthy of our attention on that account ? 
Are no animals but such as are of particular use to us, worthy of 
notice ? 

Let us cast aside this prejudice. Even the ants may contribute 
something to our instruction and amusement. The construction of 
their limbs, their industry, their indefatigable diligence, the police of 
their republic, their tender care of their young, and perhaps a thou- 
sand other properties, which as yet we know not, may convince us 
of the wisdom of that Being who is their Creator as well as our?. 
For there is not one of the works of God which is not good, or wor- 
thy our admiration ; however useless, or even injurious, some of them 
at first sight may appear. "The Supreme Creator, by whom all 
things exist, has created nothing: without design ; nothing but v/hat 



JULY IX. 321 



The ants. 



has its proper use, and answers the end for which it was formed. 
The trees have not a leaf, the fields a spire of grass, nor the flowers 
a single leaf, which is useless : the mite itself has not been created 
in vain." Even the despicable ants may teach us this great truth ,• and 
if we profit as we ought by their instructions, we shall never leave 
an ant-hill without having made some progress in wisdom and good- 



ness. 



JULY X. 

HAIL. 

HaIL is nothing but drops of rain, which, congealing in the air, 
fdll down in pieces of a spheric, oblong, and angular form. Should 
it appear strange, that in the very warmest season of the year, va- 
pours are found to freeze in the atmosphere ; let it be consideredj 
that even in the greatest heats, the upper region of the air is cold, 
and often filled with snow. Were not this the case, how could the 
tops of high mountains continue covered with snow, even in the 
summer months ? In the hottest regions of America, the cold is so 
intense on the tops of the highest mountains, that the traveller is in 
danger of being frozen to death. From this excessive cold in the 
upper regions of the atmo^here, we should have snow even in sum- 
mer, if the frozen particles did not melt before they reached the 
earth. When the particles of snow unite together, the drops begin 
to freeze ; and as in falling they pass suddenly through warm regions 
of the air; it happens that before this warmth can have penetrated 
them, their cold increases so much as to freeze them entirely. 

It might be supposed, that on the contrary, this cold should dimi- 
nish in proportion as they pass through warmer air : but when, in 
winter, water which has been exposed to the open air, is brought 
into a warm apartment, what is the consequence ? It freezes and 
becomes ice, which would not have taken place had it been put in a 
cold room. This is precisely the case with the meteor in question. 
For, w*hen those cold bodies pass suddenly through a warm, region of 
the air, their cold increases to such a degree as to freeze them en- 
tirely. To this the volatile salts, which are more or less diffused 
through the atmosphere, contribute much. We need not, therefore, 
be surprised that storms are not always accompanied with hail; for, 
in order to produce this effect, there must be an abundance of saline 
vapours to cause the drops to congeal suddenly. Although hail is 
more frequent in summer, yet it falls also in the other seasons. For, 
as in every season of the year saline exhalations may abound in the 
atmosphere ; consequently it may hail in winter, autumn, and spring. 

The form and size of the hail are not always alike. Hailstones 
are sometimes round, sometimes concave, and hemispherical; and 
often conic and angular. Their ordinary size is like that of a small 

41 



322 JULY X. 



Hai]. 



shot ; they are seldom as large as nuts. It has, however, been as- 
serted, that some have fallen as large as a goose's egg. The diffe- , 
rence we observe in the form and size of hailstones, may proceed 
from accidental causes. Winds, and especially those which are im- 
petuous, and blow in contrary directions, doubtless contribute much 
to this. Besides, a hailstone in falling may meet with many other 
cold particles, which may considerably augment its bulk ; and often 
several hailstones unite together and -form one large one. 

When hail stones are very large, they uMoubtedly do inexpressible 
damage to crops, vines, fruits^ and buildings : Wt this does not au- 
thorize us to look on them as a scourge from heaven •, as a judgment 
or chastisement from the Lord. If a violent hail-storixv lays some- 
times acres of land waste, and breaks thousands of windov^s ; such 
desolations may be nothing in comparison of the good which the s.torm 
produces. Hail manifestly cools the air in the burning heats of sun^- 
mer : the nitrous and saline moisture which it diffuses, contributes 
much to the fertilization of the earth. It is very remarkable, that 
although all the meteors appear to succeed each other, without the 
least regularity ; and though in one year they are different from what 
they w^ere in another ; yet, notwithstanding this apparent disorder, 
constant fertility is produced. 

Here again, God manifests his wisdom and goodness. May we 
glorify him in the hail and in the tempests, for his beneficent hand 
does admirable things, and never ceases to give us an abundance of 
food. 



JULY XL 

THE TTTILITY OF STORMS, 

We should consider the phenomena of nature so that the wisdom 
and goodness of our heavenly Father may be clearly apprehended 
by our understanding, and make the deepest impression upon our 
heart : and this duty should appear to us the more indispensable, be- 
cause it is so much neglected by a multitude of inattentive, ignorant, 
and ungrateful people. It is true, that God sometimes make use of 
natural phenomena to punish the sins of men : but these particular 
cases do not prove that he does not propose chiefly, and in general, 
the benefit and welfare of the whole. Universal nature affords in- 
contestable proofs of this. At present, let us consider a single phe- 
nomenon, which is well calculated to convince us of this ; and con- 
cerning which, we have great need to have our ideas rectified. 

Are we not, in general accustomed from our youth to pronounce 
the words, thunder and lightning, with terror ? Such is our injustice, 
that we never think but on those extremely rare cases in which 
tempests have been prejudicial to a very small part of the universe; 
while we shut our ey^s against the great advantages which result 



JULY XL 323 



Utility of storms. 



from them to the whole of the creation. Alas ! we should soon 
change our tone, if God, irritated by our murmuring and ingratitude, 
were to deprive us of the blessings which thunder and lightning pro- 
duce. It is true, we are not capable of pointing out all the advanta- 
ges resulting from them : but the little Avhich we know may suffice 
to fill our hearts with gratitude towards our great Benefactor. 

Let us represent to ourselves an atmosphere loaded with an infinity 
of noxious and pestilential exhalations, which are still more and 
more augmented by continual evaporations from terrestrial bodies ; so 
many of which are corrupted and poisonous. This air we must 
breathe : the pre^servation, or destruction of our being, depends on 
it. The salubrity, or insalubrity of the air, brings life or death. 
We all tnow how difficult respiration is in the stifling heats of sum- 
mer; and what uneasiness and anxiety we then feel. Is it not then 
3 great mercy from God, which merits our utmost gratitude, that a 
salutary storm comes to purify the air from all that might render it 
injurious ; that it sets fire to the saline and sulphureous particles, 
and thus prevents their dangerous effects ; that it cools the air, and 
in restoring its elasticity, renders it proper for respiration ? 

Without such storms, destructive exhalations would be more and 
more corrupted and multiplied ; men and other animals would perish 
by thousands ; and a universal plague would render the earth a ge- 
neral grave-yard. Which then is most reasonable, to wish for, or 
fear storms? To murmur at the slight mischief which they some- 
times occasion ; or to bless God for the excellent advantages which 
they procure to the world at large ? Add to this, that not only men 
and animals profit much by the purification of the atmophere from 
noxious vapours ; but the vegetable kingdom also gets much advan-^ 
tage by it. Experience teaches us, that the rain which falls in a 
thunder-storm is more proper than any other for the fertilization of 
the earth. The saline and sulphureous particles which fill the at- 
mosphere in the time of a thunder-storm, are brought down by the 
drops of rain, and become an excellent nutriment for plants : to say 
nothing of the innumerable multitude of little worms, seeds, and in- 
sects, which are precipitated by the rain ; and which may, by the as^ 
sistance of a microscope, be easily discovered in the drops of water. 

Reflections of this kind may serve to moderate that excessive fear 
which we have of thunder ; a fear which too plainly proves how 
little confidence we have in God. Instead of giving way to dreadful 
and terrific ideas, let us accustom ourselves to meditate on the ma- 
jestic grandeur of a storm. Instead of conversing about the evils 
occasioned by lightning, let us speak of the great necessity and utility 
of thunder storms. Instead of praying to God to avert such, let us 
rather entreat him to send them from time to time ; or else let us 
leave this entirely to that Supreme Being who always governs the 
world with so much wisdom and goodness. As often as we see a 
storm, let us say, in the fulness of our heart, and with strong con- 
jfidence : Lord God Almighty ! it is thou who commandest the thun- 



324 JULY XL 



Utility of storms. 



der, and directest the way of the lightning ! We are in thy hand : 
thou alone canst save ; thou only canst destroy. At thy command the 
tempest shiall either fertilize or destroy our fields. Thou art great, 
O Jehovah ! and thy power is inexpressible. How can we resist 
thee : or where can we fly to escape thy pursuing anger ? But, art 
thou not our Father, and we thy adopted children ! Thou speakest 
to us by the thunder ; but it is to bless, not to curse us. Blessed be 
thon, O Lord, from eternity to eternity, and let all the people say, 
Hallelujah ! Amen, 



JULY XII. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE EARTH. AND ITS ORIGINAL CONSTITUTlOit, 

God has so constituted the earth, that it is fit for the production 
and growth of herbs, plants and trees. It is compact enough to con- 
tain and hold fast the different vegetables, so that the winds cannot 
sweep them away ; and yet it is light and moveable enough to permit 
the roots to sink downwards, and attract humidity and nutritious 
juices. When the surface of the earth is dry and parched, that very 
lightness causes the juices to ascend in the capillary tubes, to furnish 
the trees with necessary nourishment. Besides this, the earth is full 
of oily particles, and different juices, which serve for the growth of 
plants. And that all sorts of vegetables may grow and draw their 
subsistence from the earth, God has formed different kinds of earths, 
which serve us for a variety of purposes ; such as potter's earth, 
clay, chalk, and gravel. Some serve to make bricks ; others to form 
buildings, walls, ovens, &:c. and others are employed in the potteries. 
There are also different earths, which are used in dying, and some 
are used in medicine. 

Even the inequalities of the earth produce considerable advan- 
tages. A greater number and diversity of animals and plants may 
live on. the mountains. They serve also to break the violence of 
the winds ; they produce a great variety of wholesome plants and 
fruits, which could not be so well produced on the plains. They 
contain in their bowels those metals and minerals which are so use- 
ful to us. It is from them that springs, and the greater parts of 
rivers produced by the melting of snows, by rains, and other vapours, 
proceed. The stones which are enclosed in the earth, serve for the 
construction of wails ; and for the formation of lime and glass. As 
to metals, their uses are innumerable. Let us only consider the 
great variety of tools which our labourers and artists use ; and the 
utensils and moveables of all kinds which are made of different me- 
tals, and which furnish us with so many conveniencies and ornaments. 
We also derive considerable advantages from the hardness and weight 
of these bodies. 

No person can be ignorant of the great MiiWij oi mi7ierals. Salt 
serves to season our food, and to preserve it from putrefaction. 



JULY XII. 325 



Reflections on the earth, and its original constitution. 



And the sulphureous particles of bodies render them combustible. 
Volcanoes also, and earthquakes^ whatever ravages they may sometimes 
occcasion, are nevertheless, useful and necessary. If^re did not con- 
sume the sulphureous exhalations, they would be diffused so much in 
the air as to render it unwholesome. Divers warm baths, and various 
minerals and metals, could not be produced without these. We may 
impute it to our ignorance, if so many things appear useless to us. 
At the sight of certain phenomena of nature, which are sometimes 
noxious, we should always recollect this maxim: if God now and 
then permit certain apparent imperfections to take place, it is that 
they may contribute to the greater perfection of the whole. To 
judge aright of the works of God, and to acknowledge his wisdom in 
them, we must not consider them in one point of view, but examine 
the parts separatel}?-, and then the whole combined. Many things 
winch we now consider as injurious, would then appear to be of in- 
contestable utility ; others, which appear superfluous, we should find 
to be necessary to the perfection of the whole ; and we should see 
that their removal would leave a chasm in the empire of creation. 
How many things appear despicable to us, merely because we are 
unacquainted with their uses ! Put a loadstone into the hand of a per- 
son who is ignorant of its virtues ; he will scarcely condescend to 
honour it with a look. Let him be informed that the progress of 
navigation, and the discovery of America, are owing to that stone, 
and he will speedily form a different opinion of it. It is the same 
with a million of things which we despise, or judge ill of, because we 
do not know their use ; and see not the relations which they bear to 
the whole of creation. 

Lord ! the earth is full of thy goodness. All that is in and upon it, 
even the dust itself, is arranged in wisdom. How long have we tra- 
velled on earth : and how much of thy bounty have we seen ! May we 
consider it as our principal duty to apply ourselves more and more to 
know thee ; and to pay thee that just tribute of gratitude and love, 
which we owe thee for the various blessings we derive from the 
earth I 



JULY XIII. 

ON THE PHASES OF THE MOON. 

All observations on the moon confirm the opinion that she has a 
particular motion, by which she turns round the earth from west 
to east. For after having been placed between us and the sun, she 
retires from below him, and continues to go back towards the east, 
changing each day the point of her rising. At the end of fifteen 
days, she reaches the most easterly part of the horizon, at the time 
the sun sets with us. She is then in opposition. In the evening 
when the sun retires, .she rises above our horizon : and sets in the 



326 JULY XIII. 



Phases of the moon. 



morning nearly about the time the sun rises. If then she continues 
to describe the circle round the earth, which she has begun and half 
finished, she will depart visibly from the point of her opposition to 
the sun, and be less and less distant from that luminary, rise later 
than when in opposition to him, till at last she has got so near as only 
to be discovered a little before his rising. This revolution of the 
moon round the earth, explains why she rises and sets at such dif- 
ferent times ; and why her phases are so different, and at the same 
time so regular. Every body knows that a globe, illuminated by the 
sun, or by a flambeau, can receive the light only on one of its sides. 
At first sight, we are convinced that the moon is a globe, which re- 
ceives her light from the sun ; when, therefore, she is m conjunction, 
i. e. placed between the sun and us, she turns the whole of her illu- 
minated side to him : and of course her dark part to us. SKe is 
then consequently invisible to us : she rises with the sun in the same 
region of the heavens, and sets also with him ; this is called the con- 
junction or new moon. But when the moon retires from under the 
sun, and goes back towards the east, then she has no longer the whole 
of her dark side turned towards us ; a small part, a little border of the 
illuminated disk, comes in view. This luminous border is seen on 
the right sight side towards the sun, just at his setting, or even a little 
before ; and the extremities, or points, of this crescent are turned to 
the left, facing the east. The farther the moon recedes from the sun 
the more visible she becomes ; till at the end of seven days, when she 
has performed the fourth part of her course, she discovers half of her 
enlightened face. The enlightened part is then turned towards the 
sun ; and her dark part casts no light on the earth. Exactly half the 
moon is then illuminated : the half of that half can only be the fourth 
part of her whole globe ; and it is this fourth part which we see. 
Then the moon is said to be in \^y first quarter. 

In proportion as the moon departs from the sun, and the earth is 
found nearly betv^-een them, the light occupies a greater space in 
that part of the moon which faces us ; at the end of seven days, 
counting from the first quarter, she is almost directly opposite to the 
sun; and then her whole disk, perfectly illuminated, is presented to 
us. She then rises in the east, precisely at the moment when the 
sun sets in the west. Then is o\xv full moon. The next day, the en- 
lightened part is a little turned av/ay from us ; so that we see no lon- 
ger the full enlightened face. The light seems to leave the western 
side by little and little ; stretching over that part which does not face 
the earth. This is the wane or decrease of the moon : and the far- 
ther she advances, the more her obscure part increases, till at last 
half the dark part, and consequently half of the light side, are turned 
towards the earth : it has then the form of a semicircle ; and the 
moon is said to be in her last quarter. 

Let us adore the wisdom and goodness of our Creator, who mani- 
fests himself to us in the phases and different aspects of the moon. 
By the admirable harmony which subsists between the motion of this 



JULY XIII. 327 



Phases of the moon, 



planet on her own axis, and her motion round the earth ; it so happens 
that the rnoon always shows the same half of her sphere which she 
has shown from the commencement of the world. For some thou- 
sands of years, this globe has finished her revolution in 27 days and 
8 hours. Regularly, and at the same periods, she has enlightened 
at one time the nights of our climate, at another the most distant 
countries. With what goodness has it pleased the Divine Wisdom, 
to grant our earth a faithful companion to enlighten almost half our 
nights ! Alas ! we do not sufficiently value this wise appointme*nt of 
the Creator. But, there is a people who know better than us how to 
estimate this advantage : to whom the light of the moon is indispen- 
sable. Doubtless they feel more gratitude for this present from heaven 
than we generally do. 

The continual changes of the moon, both in respect to her phases 
and her course, are a lively emblem of the revolutions to which ter- 
restrial things are liable. Sometimes health, joy, affluence, and a 
thousand other blessings, concur to render us happy ; and we walk, 
so to speak, in brilliant light. But, at the end of a few days, all this 
splendour disappears ; and soon there remains only the sorrowful re- 
membrance of the transitory and fickle blessings we have enjoyed. 
How earnestly then should we long to pass from this uncertain world 
to a region of felicity, where all the blessings which we shall enjoy 
shall appear to us the more excellent, because they are not subject 
either to corruption or decay I 



JULY XIV, 



MINERAL WATERS. 



Whether we consider mineral waters as to their formation, or in 
respect to the innumerable advantages derived from them : they are 
doubtless a precious gift from heaven. But in this, as in many other 
cases, we are inattentive and ungrateful. Even the places where 
these springs of health and life flow in abundance for us, are rarely 
what they should be ; places consecrated to gratitude and to the praise 
of God. For these and other blessings, let us hereafter endeavour to 
be more grateful to our heo.venly Benefactor. 

In the first place, the sources whence we draw the common salt, 
which seasons our food, deserve our attention. It is probable, that 
these sources derive their origin from that mineral salt which the 
waters dissolve under the earth. The mineral hot-baths are not less 
remarkable. They are not only so very numerous, that in Germany 
itself nearly 120 are reckoned ; but the waters of them are so hot, 
that they must stand to cool, twelve, and sometimes eighteen hours, 
before they are fit to bathe in. Whence can this extraordinary heat 
proceed? It is certainly not from the sun : were it occasioned by 
his influence, the water vrould retain its warmth only during the day, 



328 JULY XIV. 



Mineral waters. 



while it was subject to the action of the sun : and would of course 
cool at night, and be cold during the winter. Nor can this heat, with 
any more likelihood, be attributed to subterranean fires ; for, still we 
should have to account for the medicinal virtues of these waters. 
Perhaps the most simple cause we can assign, is, that the waters 
passing through earth strongly impregnated with sulphureous, pyri- 
ious, and metallic substances, acquire this degree of heat. When 
the water falls into these quarries, the sulphureous and ferruginous 
particles which it dissolves, take fire by the friction and re-action of 
their principles, and communicate that heat to the water which runs 
over them. 

Medicinal waters, and particularly those which are acidulated, are 
produced by dissolving and mixing with those mineral substances 
which they wash away. They are found especially in those places 
where there is an abundance of iron, copper, sulphur, and pit-coal. 
Hence it is, that their taste and effects are so different, in proportion 
as they are more or less impregnated with the above principles. 
They are hitter, when they spring through bitter roots, impure resin, 
nitre, or copper. They are cold, when they proceed from rocks, or 
when they are impregnated with sal ammoniac, nitre, alum, &g. 
Fatty and bituminous substances render them oily. Sulphur mixed 
with acids, render them sulphureous. 

Let us admire the inexhaustible riches of that Divine goodness, 
Avhich has prepared for men wholesome fountains which never grow 
dry. Mineral waters may, doubtless, have other uses : but it is in- 
controvertible that they Avere formed for the health and preservation 
of men. It is for man that the Lord has caused these beneficent wa- 
ters to spring out of the earth : let us therefore acknowledge his 
goodness, and feel deeply affected by it. Let those especially who 
have experienced their strengthening and salutary virtue, be deeply 
penetrated with gratitude and love to their heavenly Father. Let 
such glorify him, by imitating his example — causing their riches to 
become springs of life and consolation to their necessitous brethren. 



JULY XV. 

THE CONTINUAL ACTIVITY OF NATURE IN THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 

Whoever wishes to know why nature is never idle during the 
whole course of the year, need only reflect on the innumerable ad- 
vantages which result from this constant activity. The vegetable 
kingdom was designed for the use of men and animals. Men receive 
both food and pleasure from it : animals receive food only. The 
beneficent Creator proposed to procure men both nourishment and 
comfort ; this is the reason why he has commanded nature not to pro- 
duce all sorts of plants at once, but successively. In reality, if they 
all appeared at the same time ; none of the ends already mentioned 



JULY XV. 329 



Activity of nature in the vegetable kingdom. 



could be accomplished. How could men find time to get in their dif- 
ferent crops, if all should come to maturity at the same time ? How 
could they all be preserved, seeing there are many of them whose 
duration is very short, and which would speedily lose both their 
taste and virtue ? What then would become of the pleasing sensa- 
tions which they procure both to our eye and to our palate ? What fla- 
vour would cherries and other summer fruits have, were we to eat 
them in the midst of winter, encompassed with snow and ice ? AVould. 
not the wine itself be changed into vinegar, were the grapes to ripen 
in the height of summer ? And what w^ould be the lot of so many 
millions of animals, over whose preservation the Divine Being 
watches, as well as over that of men ? How could they live, if all 
the productions of the earth came to their maturity at the same 
time ? 

There are a hundred species of insects which are nourished only 
by flowers : how could they exist, if the flowers lasted only one or 
two months ? Could they collect enough to have always suflicienl 
food ? It is true, that the greater part of insects find none in win- 
ter; but they are so constituted that, at the time when their provi- 
sions fail, they fall into a deep sleep, and so they require none. This 
could not take place in summer, because the heat would awake them. 
It is therefore certain, that if nature were otherwise arranged, men, 
as well as other animals would suffer much, if not be destroyed by 
hunger; and we have good ground to assert, that the support of 
men and beasts is one of the principal ends which the Author of Na- 
ture has proposed, in establishing such a continual activity in the 
vegetable kingdom. 

If we next reflect on the pleasures of sight and smelling which 
God designed for men : we shall find that in this respect, also, it is 
necessary that nature should be constituted as remarked above. It 
was not only necessary that she should bring forth her flowers in all 
their beauty, but that she should do this through the whole year, for 
the continual enjoyment of men. In spring, when men walk out into 
the fields to contemplate the different substances which the Creator 
causes to spring forth for their nourishment, they see the trees 
blossom in all their beauty. Towards summer, when they are prin- 
cipally occupied with their corn, a thousand beautiful flowers present 
themselves to their sight. They show themselves successively, and 
replace each other during the whole of that season in which men 
can enjo}'- this pleasure. Lastly, when the cold of winter takes 
place, and we shut ourselves up in our houses, nature produces other 
vegetables, which though not very pleasing to the sight, have yet 
many and considerable advantages. From all this it appears, that the 
pleasure and comfort of man are some of the great ends which God 
has purposed in that arrangement of nature which we have already 
described. 

Such is the plan, by which the Creator has disposed the vegetable 
kingdom. All is so regulated that men and animals may find sufficient 

42 



330 JULY XV. 



Activity of nature in the vegetable kingdom. 



nourishment ; and also, that the former might find as manj^ pleasures 
and comforts as possible. In consequence of this law, certain plants 
produce their flowers and fruits in spring ; others in summer, and 
others in autumn or in winter. Thus, each has its appointed time, 
and appears precisely when it may be of the greater utility. Scarcely 
have the first accomplished their service, when the others begin to 
appear in all their beauty. We see many thousands of plants, and all 
follow the same law. 

In this wise and regular order, all the things which God has created 
are found ; although the weakness of our understanding prevents us 
sometimes from discovering their uses and designs. Let us, there- 
fore, bless our Creator, give him glory in all things, and acknowledge 
that, in all the revolutions, which take place in the vegetable kingdom, 
God proposes always our comfort and happiness. With what grati- 
tude should such reflections inspire us ! And what sweet satisfaction 
should we feel as often as we contemplate the beauties of nature in 
our fields, and in our gardens I 



JULY XVI. 

THE BEAUTY AND UTILITY OF MEADOWS AND FIELDS. 

The sight of a large and beautiful garden in these summer days, 
affords us a sensible pleasure which we find not in our houses, and of 
which we cannot, while confined to them, form even a just idea. 
But the pleasure which the most regular gardens afford, is not com- 
parable to what we feel when we walk in the meadows and fields. 
The stately tulip, the elegant narcissus, the beautiful hyacinth, do not 
afford so much pleasure as the simple flowers which enamel a fertile 
valley. Whatever charms the flowers cultivated in our gardens may 
have, those of the fields and meadows are still more pleasing. In the 
former we observe beauty ; but the latter unite both beauty and 
utility. Is it not true, that in these long, uniform, and well gravelled 
walks, those bowers, thickets, and parterres, so gay and well propor- 
tioned ; is it not true, that we find ourselves confined and hampered 
in them ? Every place which confines our sight appears to set bounds 
to our liberty. We aspire to walk at large in the extensive fields 
and meadows : and we seem to become in a certain measure indepen- 
dent, and more at liberty, in proportion as our walk widens and ex- 
tends before us. 

In the country, in summer, fertile and beauteous nature varies her 
appearance every moment ; whereas in our gardens so well orna- 
mented, we always see the same objects. Even their order, propor- 
tion, and regularity, prevent us from being long pleased with them. 
In a short time we perceive no novelty in, and begin even to tire of 
them. On the contrary, the eye wanders with delight over objects 
continually varied ; and which extend themselves beyond even the 



JULY XIV. 331 

The beauty and utility of meadows and fields. 

reach of sight. To afford us this satisfaction, the Author of Nature 
has ordained that in most places the earth should be smooth and even ; 
but, that we might have distant agreeable prospects, he has encompas- 
sed our horizon with rising hills. He has done more still, he has 
spared us the trouble of cultivating and watering these flowery gardens. 
In them he has sowed an innumerable multitude of seeds, from which 
a verdure is derived which scarcely ever fades, or, if faded a little, is 
speedily renewed. 

The prodigious multitude of plants which cover a field, are not for 
the sight only ; each has its particular leaves, flowers, virtues, and 
beauties. It is true that the same species of herbs is prodigiously 
multiplied in each field ; but we scarcely take a step without passing 
over a hundred different kinds, each of which has its particular struc- 
ture and use. This is one of the principal reflections which we should 
make at the sight of the fields. To the pleasure which this sight 
affords, our beneficent Creator has joined the most considerable advan- 
tages. The fields not only produce plants for our nourishment, but 
also innumerable simples, useful in medicine. But the greatest good 
afforded to us by the fields is, that they nourish almost without expense, 
those animals which are so essentially necessary for us. The ox, 
whose flesh is our food, and by whose labour our grounds are cultiva- 
ted, has no other food than the produce of the field. The horse, 
whose services are innumerable, asks only as a recompense for his 
labour, the free use of the field, or a suflicient quantity of hay. The 
cow, whose milk is one of the greatest supports of life, requires no- 
thing more. The pasture ground is the most perfect of all heritages : 
it is preferable even to cultivated fields ; for the produce of the for- 
mer is ever sure ; and it neither requires seed nor labour ; it requires 
only the small trouble of collecting that which it produces. Its pro- 
ductions are not casual, for it rarely happens that the pastures are 
ravaged either by drought or inundations. 

But it is a melancholy thing, that men, who are in general so inat- 
tentive to, and insensible of, the blessings of God, should be equally 
so in reference to this. We look upon grass, commonly, with con- 
tempt or indifference ; probably because it grows under our feet, and 
requires no cultivation ; and we do not consider the pastures to be 
of immediate use to us. But whatever the cause of our indifference 
may be, it is certainly without excuse. Would to God that, when we 
walk in the fields and plains, we had a sensible and grateful heart ! 
That, at the sight of meadows, enamelled with flowers, we might be 
deeply affected with the goodness of the Most High, who opens his 
liberal hand over all the earth, and abundantly satisfies the desires of 
both men and beasts ! that we were deeply convinced that his 
goodness is every where ; and that there is not a corner of the earth 
where he does not manifest the footsteps of his kind providence! 
Yes, all countries, all soils, the good and the bad, the sandy and 
the marshy, the stony and the moist, announce the beneficence of the 
Preserver of all things. The whole earth is one immense pasture, 



332 JULY XVI. 



The beauty and utility of meadows and fields. 

where all living creatures may find nourishment, pleasure, and de- 
light. 

May we never hereafter consider these pasture grounds but with 
sentiments of gratitude and joy ! While we sit on a flowery bank, 
and cast our eyes around, may we be penetrated with gratitude and 
joy, and raise ourselves to thee, our affectionate Father, in songs of 
thanksgiving, and proclaim thy benefits ! " How lovely and delight- 
ful are these flowers which encompass me by thousands ! Could 
Adam, in the terrestial paradise, behold any more delightful than 
these ? Here troops of winged songsters celebrate the Lord of the 
universe ; there the verdant fields, and the flowers with which they 
are enamelled; farther off, the thickets and forests announce the 
goodness of the Parent of Nature, and proclaim his unlimited muni- 
ficence." 



JULY XVII. 

THE MORNING TWILIGHT. 

It cannot be doubted that this phenomena, which we daily behold, 
is, equally with others, designed for the benefit of the world. Twi- 
light is no other than the prolongation of the day, which prepares our 
eyes sometimes to bear all the splendour of the rising sun, and at 
other times to support the approaches of the night. The twilight is 
not always the same : it varies according to different climates and sea- 
sons. It continues longer at the poles than in the torrid zone. The 
inhabitants of that zone see the sun rise directly above the horizon, 
and sink in the same direction under the lower hemisphere ; so that he 
leaves them suddenly in the most profound night. On the contrary, 
the sun darting his rays obliquely towards the poles, and not sinking 
much below the horizon of the neighbouring people, their nights, though 
long, are almost constantly attended with twilight; and, therefore, in 
some measure, luminous. It is a happiness for the former to have 
scarcely any twilight ; and it is not less so to the others to have an 
almost uninterrupted dawn. 

As for us, who are placed nearly at an almost equal distance from 
the inhabitants of the torrid and frigid zones, we plainly observe that 
our twilight becomes shorter in proportion as our days shorten ; and 
that it increases in proportion as the days lengthen. In the evening 
we enjoy an hour of twilight, and sometimes more, after the sun sets. 
Previous to his rising we have a twilight of the same length. This 
arrangement, so useful, we owe to the properties which God has 
given the air. He has encompassed the earth with an atmosphere 
which extends very high ; he has made such a proportion between 
the air and the light which pervades it, that, when the rays enter it 
perpendicularly, nothing disturbs their direction; but, when a ray 
enters obliquely, or sideways, instead of passing through it in a di- 



JULY XVII. 333 



The moining twiliglit. 



rect line, it is bent downwards, so that the greater part of the rays 
which pass into the atmosphere close to the earth, by this inflection, 
fall back upon it. For instead of pursuing their direct course in pas- 
sing by the earth, they are reflected by the air ; thus, when the sun. 
approaches our horizon, many of his rays Avhich pass by us, and arc 
not sent directly to us, meeting with the mass of air which surrounds 
our globe, are bent in that mass, and sent back to our eyes ; so that 
we have daylight long before the sun himself appears. 

This law of the refraction of light in the mass of air which sur- 
rounds us, is a work equally full of wisdom and goodness towards all 
the inhabitants of the earth ; but, it is an especial blessing to those 
who dwell in the frigid zones. Without the assistance of twilight 
they must be for several months plunged in the deepest darkness. It 
is possible that this explanation of the origin of twilight, may not be 
altogether intelligible to some readers ; however, let us leave fur- 
ther details concerning this phenomenon to philosophers; and let us 
content ourselves with considering it as Christians and reasonable 
beings should. To consider it profitably, we need no more intelli- 
gence than what ordinarily fall to the share of a common labourer, 
provided the heart be right with God, and earnestly desires to glorify 
its Creator. The simple, though unlearned Christian, is often wiser 
than the most eminent philosophers ; who, while they calculate and 
explain the twilight, lose sight of that Supreme Being who gives to 
man the light of the day. 

The simple Christian, falling on his knees at the arrival of the 
twilight, may be led thus to adore his Creator. Father of the day, 
and Author of twilight, I exalt and bless thee at the sight of the first 
and last rays of the sun. With what tender care dost thou watch 
over the welfare of men ! Were I a labourer, I could, after having 
endured the intense heat of the sun, profit by the twilight to cut down 
my crops in the cool of the night ; I should probably praise thee with 
more gratitude. Were I a traveller, how pleasing must the morning 
twilight be to me ! Probably, while walking in its mild influence, I 
should bless Him who has formed it : while, on the contrary, at pre- 
sent, 1 pay too little attention to this blessing, and seldom think of 
praising thee for it. How cool and delightful are the summer morn- 
ings ! If there were no sun, no atmosphere, — if thou, O Creator of 
the sun and atmosphere, didst not exist, I should not desire to live. 
What am I saying ! — If thou wert not, I could have no being. I 
praise thee for thy being, and. rejoice in my own ; and bless thee that 
there is a world which thy beneficent hands have formed, and which 
thou hast condescended to enrich with so many beauties. 



^H JULY XVIII. 



The pleasures of the country. 



JULY XVIII. 

THE PLEASURES OF THE COUNTRY 

Come, and let us enjoy those pleasures which are relished only by 
the wise. The pleasing light of the sun invites us to the field. 
There, the purest pleasure awaits us. Let us walk into a flowery 
valley, and sing a hymn of praise to the Creator. 

How gently do the zephyrs breathe through every branch and 
leaf of those bushes ! Every thing before us bounds with joy, or 
resounds with songs of gladness : all seem invigorated, and animated 
with new life. 

How do the ruffled woods, the valleys, and the mountains which the 
summer has adorned by its gifts, delight the eye and rejoice the heart I 
Their charms are not the produce of art : even the ornamented gar- 
dens are eclipsed by them. 

The corn grows yellow, and begins to invite the reaper to prepare 
his sickle. The trees, crowned with leaves, spread their shade over 
the little hills and fields. The birds rejoice in their existence, and sing 
their pleasures ; their notes express nothing but joy and affection. 

Each year renews the treasures of the peaceable husbandman : free- 
dom, and a consciousness of his happiness, shine in his serene coun- 
tenance. Neither hateful calumny, nor pride, nor the corroding cares 
by which the inhabitants of cities are enslaved, disturb the repose of 
his mornings, nor vex him with sleepless nights. 

No place can prevent the wise man, who delights to exercise his 
senses and reason, from relishing the pleasures which are found in 
the bosom of the country. There the rich pastures, the meadows 
covered with dew, the beautiful pictures which every part of nature 
presents, fill his soul with sweet delight, and elevate his heart to his 
Creator. 



JULY XVIII.* 

the evening twilight^ 

The evening twilight is that faint light which, after sunset, conti- 
nues still to illuminate our atmosphere, particularly toward the west. 
It is partly occasioned by the refraction and reflection of the rays of 
the sun in our atmosphere ; and partly by the atmosphere of the sun 
itselfj known by the name of the zodiacal lights which sometimes ap- 
pears, but particularly in spring, toward evening; and in autumn 
toward morning. When the sky is clear, we may see the smallest 
stars during the twilight ; it continues from the time that the sun has 
entirely disappeared, till dark night: and its duration is ordinarily 
about two hours. In the island of Senegal, where the nights and days 



JULY XVIII> 335 



The evening twilight. 



are almost always equal, the twilight lasts but a few moments. This 
interval between sunset and dark night is scarcely a quarter of an 
hour. Thus, as soon as the sun is ten or fifteen degrees below the 
horizon, darkness is spread over the whole country, and it becomes 
like midnight. 

About the 1st of March and the 11th of October, our twilight is 
the shortest. When the northern declination of the sun, and the 
depression of the equator below the horizon, are such, that the sun 
descends only IS degrees, the twilight then lasts the whole night. It 
is on this account that in these countries, in the summer solstice, we 
have scarcely any night ; and that in the more northern climates, 
there is no night at all, although the sun is below the horizon. This 
takes place, when the diffeicnce between the depression of the equa- 
tor and the nothern declination of the sun is less than eighteen de- 
grees. This happens in the greater part of Germany from the 17th 
of May to the 2oth of July. 

The advantages which we, and many other creatures, derive from 
the twilight, are very evident. To pass immediately from the broad 
day to dark night would be very inconvenient. So sudden a passage 
from light to darkness would wound, if not destroy, the organs of sight. 
Travellers overtaken by so sudden a night, must lose their way : and 
the greater part of birds be in danger of perishing. The wise Au- 
thor of Nature has prevented all these inconveniencies, by giving our 
earth an atmosphere which hinders us from losing the light suddenly, 
although the sun is below the horizon. And thus, through the me- 
dium of the tN^-ilight, we pass, by insensible degrees, from day to night. 



JULY XIX. 



THE EPHEMERON. 



This insect is named ephemeron, (i. e. half a day) because of the 
short duration of its life in the state of a fly. It is one of the most 
beautiful species of the small flies. It undergoes ^z,'e transformations. 
First, the e^^ contains the principle of its life: secondly, a caterpil' 
lar proceeds from the egg '• thirdly, this is transformed into a chrysa- 
lis : fourthly, the chrysalis becomes a nympha : and fifthly, this ends 
in ^^fly. This fly lays her eggs on the water, where the heat of the 
sun hatches them. A very small red worm comes out of each egg, 
which has a serpentine motion. They are found in abundance m 
ponds and marshes during the whole summer. But, as soon as the 
water begins to be cold, the worm makes itself a little sheath, in 
which it passes the T\'inter, Towards the end of winter it ceases to 
be a worm, and enters into its third state, that of a chrysalis. In this 
state it sleeps during the spring, and by degrees becomes a beautiful 
nympha, or kind of mummy, something in the form of a fish 



336 JULY XIX. 



Ephemeron fly-i 



On the day appointed for its metamorphosis, it appears stupid and 
inactive : in about six hours the head makes its appearance, and rises 
by degrees above the surface of the water. Afterward the body dis- 
engages itself slowly : till at length the whole animal comes out of 
its sheath. The new-born fly falls on the water, and remains some 
minutes without motion. In a short time it begins to revive, and 
moves its wings feebly. Finally, it moves them quickly, and tries 
first to walk, and then to fly. As these flies are all hatched nearly in 
the same moment, they are seen in swarms jumping and playing on 
the surface of the water for the space of two hours. The male and 
the female then seek each other, and unite for the space of two hours 
more. Then they begin again to skip and play, lay their eggs, and 
shortly after fall down and die. Thus they terminate their short life 
in about five or six hours, and never survive the day in which they 
were born. 

Let the history of the life of these animals teach us how false the 
opinions are which we form of our lives in reference to eternity. 
Suppose that one of these flies had preserved its active and laborious 
life for twelve hours, and thus arrived at the most advanced age, rela- 
tive to its companions, the greater part of which died at noon. If 
this very aged insect could speak, probably about sunset, a little be- 
fore its death, it would thus address its assembled friends. " I now 
find that the longest life must end. The term of mine is arrived, and 
I regret it not : for old age is already become my burthen, and I can 
no longer discover any thing new under the sun. All that I have seen 
during the course of my long life has convinced me that there is 
nothing here certain or durable. A whole generation of our species 
has been destroyed by a violent tempest. The coolness of the air 
has carried off a great number of our sprightly youth. I have lived 
in the first ages of the world ; I have conversed a great deal with 
insects, much more respectable, robust, and intelligent than any of 
the present generation. I can assure you that the sun which ap- 
pears now not far distant from the earth, I have seen in the midst of 
the sky. In those ancient times, its light was more vivid than it now 
is : and our ancestors were more sober and virtuous than we are. I 
have seen many things, I have had long experience, and I have out- 
lived all my contemporaries. My life began precisely when that sun 
arose: during countless years it ran its majestic course in heaven, 
and diffused the most intense heat every where; but now that it is 
on the decline, and is going to set, I plainly foresee that the end of all 
things is at hand. my friends, how much did I once flatter myself 
that my life should be eternal. How beauteous were the cells which 
I formed for my abode ! What hopes did I build on my good consti- 
tution, my vigour, agility, and the strength of my wings ! But, after 
all, I have lived long enough, and none of 'those which I leave behind 
will ever run so long, and so delightful a course as mine." 

Thus might an insect speak which has lived on the earth nearly 
tivelve hours. But, might not a man, v^^ho has spent fourscore years 



JULY XIX. 337 



Ephemeron flj 



in the world, use nearly the same language ? Truly, the difference be- 
tween fourscore years and twelve hours is nothing in reference to 
eternity. And, in general do we employ our fourscore years to a 
much better purpose than this ephemeron fly is stated to have em- 
ployed its twelve hours ? 



JULY XX. 

NOTHING PERISHES IN NATURE. 

Were there any thing in the world which perished, Avithout good 
resulting from it, we might well doubt the wisdom of the Divine 
government. But, we have reason to believe, that in the immense 
circle of creation, not even the smallest grain of dust has ever pe- 
rished; but that all things exist for certain purposes, each accom- 
plishing, in its own way, the end for which it was designed. 

The seed which drops off a flower is not destroyed: it is often 
carried away by the winds to make other flowers fruitful ; or, else it 
takes root in the earth, and becomes a plant. Other seeds, and 
fruits are devoured by birds a)id beasts ; they are digested, and mix- 
ed with their juices ; part goes for manure to the land, the rest 
nourishes those bodies which are to become food for man and other 
animab. Certain things corrupt, and become decomposed, it is 
true ; but, by this they become parts of some other substance, and 
serve, under a new form, to accomplish ends for which they were 
not proper in their first estate ; for, in order to answer these ends, 
it was necessary that they should be prepared by different changes, 
and by^ re-union with other substances. 

The butterfly could never have produced its like, had it not been 
a caterpillar. No animal whatever, as we now see it, could have been 
produced, if its germ had not pre-existed in the first animal of its 
species. Nothing perishes in nature : things are only decomposed 
in order to appear under a new form, and become part of some other 
substance. Every grain of dust is, so to speak, the germ of new 
creatures, and holds its proper place in that chain of beings which 
have been produced for the perfection of the whole. If you take 
a handful of the sand you tread on, you perhaps take away the lives 
of millions of insects which were the inhabitants of this sand. Did 
we know properly the elementary particles of matter, we might be 
better able to determine what the other substances were in which 
they (so to speak) lay concealed, and into the composition of which 
they entered. 

" But, may not abortions, or children which die immediately after 
they are born, be considered as creatures w^hich perish without be- 
ing of any use ?" No, certainly. They fulfil, in their way, the de- 
signs of the Creator ; and are prepared, by different revolutions, for 
their future state. Nature does every thing gradually. Man is ffrst 

43 



338 JULY XX. 



Nothing perishes in nature. 



an infant, and the tree a twig. Each creature employs its energy 
during its short duration, and prepares itself for a new state. The 
step which man must take to pass from the meate sensitive life of 
childhood to the rational life of advanced age, is certainly not greater 
than that which the infant takes from its mother's womb to the sen- 
sitive life. And we can no more say, that the infant has not fulfilled 
the design for which God created it, than we can, that the full grown 
man has not accomplished those purposes of his Maker here below, 
which he is not to fulfil till he becomes an inhabitant of heaven. 
Every creature answers the end of its formation, in a particular way, 
and according to its faculties. Like the wheels of a watch, some go 
fast, others go stow ; but all tend, directly or indirectly, to the end of 
their formation. All things develope and exercise their Energies, and 
contribute something, according to their power, to the execution of 
the general plan which God has laid down. 

We may meet with many things in nature which, at first sight, may 
appear useless ; and consequently may seem to have been produced 
without design. We may think that others have been entirely de- 
stroyed and annihilated. But let us not be too precipitate in our 
judgments ; and let us not be hasty to find fault with the ways of the 
Lord. Let us rather believe, that whatever we see, however strange 
and unconnected it may appear, is arranged in the wisest manner ; 
and that God knows how to accomplish his designs, when we, weak, 
ignorant mortals, cannot form an idea of the ends he proposes. 

" Let us be assured that the hand of the Lord has planned every 
thing with the utmost wisdom. Look around, all is connected : every 
thing is in its proper place, and nothing owes its situation to chance. 
There is not a thing in the world which is useless, even when it falls 
into dust. Nothing is lost from nature j nothing perishes in* it : not 
even the smallest leaf, nor a grain of sand, nor one of those insects 
which the naked eye cannot discover ; nor any of those seeds which 
the breeze carries away. The majestic firmament, where the sun 
shines with so much splendour ; the dust, which sports in his beams, 
and which we respire without perceiving it ; all has appeared at the 
command of the Creator ; all is placed in the most proper situation ; 
all exists never to end : all is good and perfect in the world, which 
the Most High has created. And yet, rash and presumptuous man 
dares to find fault with the works of the Lord !" Let us not resemble 
these madmen : let us glorify God, and secure our own peace, in be- 
lieving that of all which has been made, nothing perishes, nothing is 
useless. Even our bodies perish not : though they wear, and are 
continually evaporating, and at last shall be entirely decomposed in 
the grave ; though they become constituent parts, in the multitude 
of strange bodies, yet they shall have a resurrection to a life without 
end. 



JULY XXf. 333 



Difference of zones. 



JULY XXL 

DIFFERENCE OF ZONES. 

The Creator having- made our earth in a globular form, and having 
impressed on it a double motion, it necessarily followed, that the 
regions of the earth should differ from each other, not only in the 
temperature of the seasons, but also in the plants and animals which 
they produce. In certain countries of our globe, there is but one 
season, viz. summer^ which incessantly prevails ; and every day 
there is as hot as our warmest summer days. Those countries are 
situated on the middle of our globe ; and occupy what is commonly 
termed the torrid zone. Those fruits which are most grateful to the 
smell and taste, are produced there ; and grew no where else : and 
in it nature has poured out her richest gifts. In this zone, the days 
and nights are of an equal length during the greatest part of the 
year. 

On the other hand, there are countries in which a cold more in- 
tense than that of our most rigorous winters prevails during almost 
the whole year. There are only a few weeks in the year warm 
enough for the few plants and trees v/hich they have to grow or be- 
come green ; but, in those frigid zones, neither the' trees nor the 
ground produce such fruits as are proper for the nourishment of 
man. In these countries, the greatest inequality prevails between the 
days and nights : both last in their turn for whole months together. 

The two tem'perate zones, situated between the torrid and frigid, 
zones, occupy the greatest part of our globe. In these countries 
there are always /owr seasons, more or less distinctly marked, accord" 
ing as they approach to the torrid, or to one or other of the frigid 
zones. 1. The spri7ig : in this, trees and plants bud and blossom: 
the heat is moderate, and the days and nights nearly equal. 2. The 
summer: in this, the fruits of the trees and fields ripen : the heat is 
more intense, and the days longer than the nights. 3. The autumn : 
in this, fruits and seeds fall, and the grass becomes withered : the 
days and nights are equal, and the heat diminishes daily: 4. The 
winter: in this, vegetation is almost totally suspendr3d, the nights in- 
crease in length, and the cold becomes more or less intense. 

The countries of the temperate zones are so situated, that in those 
which are near one of the sides of the torrid zone, the seasons are 
diametrically opposed to those of the other temperate zone. When 
it is winter in one, it is summer in the other, &:c. In these 
countries nature seems to have produced the greatest varieties, not 
only in the productions of the earth, but also in animals. Wi7ie is 
peculiar to those countries : for the vine cannot be cultivated in very 
cold, or intensely hot countries. Men, especially, have peculiar ad- 
vantages in these countries. The inhabitants of the frigid zone are 
generally stupid and low in stature : those of the torrid zone are of a 



340 JULY XXI. 



Difference of zones. 



very weak constitution, have stronger passions, but less physical and 
intellectual energy than the inhabitants of the temperate zones. 

However diversified the regions of our earth may be, the Creator 
has provided, by wise arrangements, for the well-being of those who 
inhabit them. He causes every country to produce what is most ne- 
cessary, according to the nature of the climate. A worm, which feeds 
on the leaves of the mulberry-tree, spins for the inhabitants of the tor- 
rid zone that silk out of which they form their clothing ; and a tree 
like a shrub, bears a kind of husk or shell, filled with a fine wool, 
(cotton) of which light stuffs are made. On the other hand, cold 
countries abound in quadrupeds, the skins of which serve for clothing 
to the inhabitants of the north : and they are also stocked with thick 
forests from which they procure wood in great abundance for firing. 
That the blood of the inhabitants, in a soil naturally hot, may not be 
too much inflamed, their fields and orchards afford them refreshing 
fruit; and that in such abundance, that they can spare ample provi- 
sion of this kind to the inhabitants of other countries. In cold coun- 
tries God supplies their lack of the fruits of the earth, by vast multi- 
tudes of fish which the seas and lakes contain, and by the great num- 
ber of animals which dwell in the forests ; and though they are a sub- 
ject of terror to men, nevertheless, they furnish not only excellent furs, 
and wholesome food, but also many implements for domestic use. 

Thus, there is no region on the globe which does not experience the 
excellence and goodness of the Most High. There is no country, 
however poor or barren we may suppose it, where nature does not 
show herself sufficiently kind in providing, one way or other, the ne- 
cessaries and comforts of life for the inhabitants. 

In every place, beneficent Father ! thy wisdom and goodness may 
be traced. Even the impassible deserts, and the rugged mountains, 
which fill a great part of Asia and Africa, contain monuments of thy 
wisdom and beneficent love. The countries where the snow and ice 
cover the earth, as well as the temperate zones, send songs of thanks- 
giving to thee. Father of beings ! thy name is glorified in all lan- 
guages. But it is in our climates that thou shouldst be particularly 
exalted, seeing thou hast favoured us more than so many millions of 
the other inhabitants of the earth. 



JULY XXII. 

SINGULARITIES OF THE SEA. 

In general, the sea is considered only in a terrible point of view ; 
without reflecting on the wonders and blessings it so visibly presents 
to us. We cannot, indeed, deny that the sea is a most formidable 
element, when its waves swell mountain high, and the tempest roars. 
In such eases, vessels are often driven far off* their course, dashed 
to pieces by the waves, and swallowed up. Sometimes, the storm 
drives them against sandbanks and rocks, where they are entirely 



JULY XXII. 341 



Singularities of the sea. 



wrecked. Whirlpools, or those masses of water which make the ves- 
sel turn rapidly round, and at last swallow it up, these gulfs and whirl- 
pools are occasioned by great cavities in the sea, where rocks and op- 
posite currents meet. No less dangerous are the water-spouts, which 
the wind lifts from the sea towards the sky. They hover in the air 
over the sea, and the w^nd causes them to twist and turn with vio- 
lence. They often burst with a great crash, and do great damage ; 
for when they approach a vessel, they mingle with its sails, raise it 
aloft, and shake it to pieces, or precipitate it to the bottom : at least, 
if they do not carry it away, they break the masts, tear the sails, and 
drown the vessel. Many ships perish by similar causes. 

But we should be very ungrateful to pay attention only to the mis- 
chief which the sea -occasions, without condescending to reflect on the 
magnificent w^orks of the Lord ; and on that goodness which shines 
forth even in the depths of the abyss. The first thing worthy of re- 
mark is the saltness of th^^a. It is such that a pound of sea-w^ater 
contains two ounces of salt.' Sea-salt is lighter than that which \\q 
commonly use : nevertheless, it is not attracted by the air ; nor is it di- 
minished by the continual influx of fresh water. The cause of this is 
hidden from us. There may be mountains of salt in the sea : but if 
the saltness proceeded from this, would not the water be Salter in some 
places than in others ? but of this there is no certain proof. It is pos- 
sible that brooks and rivers may bring down salt and nitrous particles 
into the sea ; but what is this to the vast extent of the ocean ? But 
whatever the cause of this saltness may be, it is especially necessary 
for certain purposes. It is this w^hich preserves the w^ater from putre- 
faction ; and renders it so weighty tha.t the greatest burthens may be 
carried on it from place to place. 

The colour of the sea also m.erits our attention. It is not the same 
every where. In all w^aters, the colour oi the sky and <>^ the bottom 
is seen. Deep waters are black — during a storm they become white 
and covered with froth : they are silvered, gilded, and shaded with the 
most beautiful colours, when the rays of the setting sun fall upon 
them. But besides all this, dii?erent insects, remains of marine plants, 
with the different substanr-s w^hich the rivers hurry down into the sea, 
vary its colour still fnriher. When it is calm, it appears sometimes 
as if strewed w'ith beautiful pearls. Often, as a vessel passes quickly 
through the -jvaves, the water appears luminous, as if a river of fire 
followed her. These phenomena should be attributed, on one hand, 
to sulphureous and oily particles, and other inflammable marine sub- 
stances : and, on the other hand, to shining insects. 

A well knonm property of the sea is its flux and reflux. Each day, 
or rather in the space of twenty-five hours, the sea ebbs and flows 
twice. When the tide rises, it is called the flux or flood ; when it 
falls, it is termed the reflux or ehh. This phenomenon is accom- 
panied with many remarkable circumstances. There are always a 
flux and reflux in two parts of the earth at the same time ; and these 
two places are opposite to each other : when our antipodes have 



342 JULY XXIi. 



Singularities of the sea. 



flood water, we perceive the same with us. The tide is always low- 
est when we are in the first and last quarter of the moon : and the 
highest tide takes place generally three days after the new and full 
rnoon. Nevertheless, there may be accidental causes why the tides 
are higher and lower at one time than at another. Though this phe- 
nomenon has not as yet, in every sense, been satisfactorily explained, 
it is nevertheless certain, that it is of great advantage to our globe ; 
because on the one hand, the flux and reflux tend to purify the sea ; 
a;id, on the other, they favour the purposes of navigation. 

But supposing all this, marvellous as it may be, is not sufficient to 
engage our attention ; probably the creatures with which the sea is 
peopled, may excite our admiration and surprise. Here a new world 
is discovered, and the number of creatures by which it is inhabited is 
prodigious. Aquatic animals are, it must be granted, not so varied in 
their species as the terrestrial ; but they surpass them in size, and live 
longer than the inhabitants of the earth (ptd the air. The elephant 
and the ostrich, are small in comparison of the whale. This is the 
largest fish in the sea ; sometimes it is from 60 to 70 feet in length : 
it is as long lived as the oak, and consequently no terrestrial animal 
has so long a life. 

If we can credit certain accounts, there are some animals in the sea 
larger even than the whale. This is a sort of crab, called kraken, 
which is said to inhabit the northern seas ; and which is half a Ger- 
man mile in circumference ! But who can even enumerate the difler- 
ent kinds of animals which people the surface and bottom of the sea ? 
Who can count their number, and describe the form, structure, size, 
and use of these different animals ? How infinite is the grandeur of 
Him who has created the sea ! 

This is the conclusion which we must naturally draw from such re- 
flections. It is not without iK<=. most cogent reasons that the Creator 
has designed the ocean and seas should occupy two-thirds of our 
globe. The seas were not only to be great reservoirs of water ; but 
also, by the means of vapours, which are raised from them, were to 
become the source of rain, snow, and bimilar meteors. What wis- 
dom is discoverable in the connexion the seas have with each other, 
and in the uninterrupted motion which the Creator has impressed upon 
them ! What is not less worthy our admiration is, that the bottom of 
the sea is nearly of the same nature with the surface of the earth. 
There are found in the sea, rocks, valleys, caverns, plains, fountains, 
rivers, plants, and animals. The isles of the sea are no othex than 
the surnmits of a long chain of mountains. And when we consider 
that the sea is a part of our globe which has been less examined than 
the rest, we have reason to believe that it contains a number of won- 
ders which neither the senses nor the understanding of man can ade^ 
quately comprehend ; but which all proclaim the wisdom and power 
of the Most High. Let us adore our Creator, who has every where, 
in the ocean as well as upon the earth, established monuments of his 
greatness. 



JULY XXIII. 343 



Different shades in flowers. 



JULY XXIIL 

THE DIFFERENT SHADES OBSERVABLE IN FLOWERS. 

With a heart full of joy, I feel myself in the presence of the Au- 
thor of all that exists ; and endeavour to contemplate his works. I cast 
my eyes around and see innumerable beauties. What a lovely assem- 
blage of colours do I behold ! How pleasing and diversified is their 
mixture ! With what admirable art are those shades distributed ! 
There a light pencil seems to have laid on the colours ; here they are 
hiended according to the nicest rules of art. The colour of the ground 
is always such as best serves to relieve the drapery ; while the green 
^ivhich surrounds the flower, or the shade which the leaves cast upon 
it, serves to set off the whole. 

In thus distributing and diversifying the colours, the good God 
seems to have had nothing else in view but to afford us agreeable 
sensations. How great and wisely arranged are all the works of the 
Lord ! we may well admire the grandeur of the ends which he has em- 
ployed to accomplish those ends. It is with difficulty that men suc- 
ceed even in a single work : after many efforts (several of which are 
superfluous) we sometimes happen to succeed in a tolerable imitation 
of some one of the works of nature. But the Supreme Power has, 
in a moment, given existence to millions of beings, and has created 
them all in a state of perfection. The more we examine the works 
of art the more defective they appear. But though men have been 
examining the works of God for nearly 6000 years, they have never 
been able to discover a single defect in the plan ; nor can they imagine 
any thing which could further perfect the execution of it. The more 
we examine his works, the more we are astonished at their beauty ; 
and we always discover new marks of grandeur in these masterpieces 
of the divine hand. 

For my part, what fills me most with admiration in the shades and 
tints of flowers is, the simplicity of this beautiful work. We might 
suppose that the Creator must have employed an infinity of materials 
thus to embellish nature, and distribute to flowers and plants so many 
magnificent, rich, and splendid colours. But God has no need o{ 
painful preparations to make the creation a theatre of wonders. ^ A 
single element in his hand assumes the most beautiful and varied 
forms. The moisture of the earth and air insinuates itself into the 
tubes of plants, and is filtered through a series of transparent pipes. 
This is what works all these wonders, and produces o.i[ the beauties 
which we perceive in the vegetable kingdom. T^is is the sole cause 
of the beauty, life, and odour of flowers. T/ each colour had its 
particular cause, the admiration of the spec^^tor would be diminished ; 
but we contemplate with pleasure, an^ are never weary of admiring, 
as an effect of the Divine Wisdor«, a work which, diversified in its 
parts, is nevertheless simple wkh respect to its cause ; and in which 



344 JULY XXIIL 



Different shades in flower; 



we see a multitude of effects depending on a single spring, which 
always acts in the same manner. 

At this moment, while we examine the diversity of tints which co- 
lour the flowers, we may feel more- than ever the value of that rea- 
son with which we are endued. Without this faculty, we should he 
deprived of all the pleasures which the sight of these flowers aflbrd 
us ; and their existence in respect to us would be useless. But by 
the assistance of this faculty, we are capable of discerning the innu- 
merable beauties of flowers ; the infinitely varied blending of their 
colours ; and the amazingly diversified shades which the meadows, 
valleys, mountains, and forests present. Through this facuUy we not 
only can discern them, but so appreciate their beauties as to cause 
them to contribute to our pleasures. We have further advantage still ; 
we can make each flower lead us to the Creator : in each we may see 
the traces of his perfections ; and make their various hues an occasion 
to glorify his holy name. 

O our God and Father ! how can we sufficiently adore thee for the 
inestimable gift of reason ! It is right that, at the sight of thy works, 
we should bless thee for the faculty thou hast granted us to know their 
beauty, and to be able to enjoy them. Without this faculty, what 
should we be, and what would the world be to us ! 



JULY XXIV. 

THE GREAT HEATS OF SUMMER. 

About this time we ordinarily experience the greatest heats. Pro- 
bably it will appear extraordinary to some, to hear that the sun, which 
now enters Leo, removes every day further from us. When we were 
nearer this luminary, the heat was moderate ; and now that we are at 
a greater distance from him the heat is intense. But does this phe- 
nomenon accord with the laws of nature ? Certainly : and it is in the 
constitution of our globe that we must learn the cause. Lately the 
sun was nearer to us ; but as his rays were not sufficiently strong to pe- 
netrate deep into the earth, we had only a moderate heat : neverthe- 
less, in the space of a few weeks, the earth and the bodies upon it are 
so far heated, that even a less degree of action from the sun produces 
a greater effect than at the beginning of the summer, when he acted 
upon cold bodies. 

This plan of nature displeases many. We hear them complaining 
of that burnUio: heat which enfeebles their bodies, and renders them 
incapable of pursuing their business. But is it not very unreasonable 
to murmur against a jlan, which, being formed on the immutable laws 
of nature, is therefore inevitable? Is it not a want of gratitude to 
our heavenly Father which causes us to find fault with his govern- 
ment which, in the end, never C^ils to promote the welfare of the 
world ? And can any one seriously wish the season to be less hot ? 



JULY XXIV. 345 



Great heats of summer. 



What ! because the heat incommodes us, would we desire that so many- 
fruits, which during the winter, are to be our support, should not 
come to maturity ? I repeat it, our murmurs prove our ingratitude 
to our Creator, who ever softens and compensates all inconveniencies 
by certain advantages connected with them. For instance, the inha- 
bitants of the western parts of Africa, particularly those of Cape Verd, 
and the island of Goree, are exposed, during the whole year, to the 
most intense heat of the sun; but their bodies are so constituted, 
that their health is not in the least impaired by it; and the winds 
which blow continually in these countries, serve to temper and cool 
the air. 

And has the Creator manifested less love to us ? How unpardon- 
able should we be, were we insensible of the proofs which he gives 
us of his kindness, even when the heat is most oppressive ! Is it 
not a proof of his tender care, that the summer nights are so well 
calculated to cool the air? Night brings with it a coolness which 
prevents the dilatation of the air; and by compressing it, renders it 
more capable of acting powerfully on bodies. A single night revives 
the drooping plants, gives a new vigour to enfeebled animals, and re- 
freshes us so that we forget the labour and fatigue of the day. Storms 
also which spread so much terror, are, in the hands of the Creator, 
means of moderating and cooling the heat of the air. And how many 
fruits have we which possess the property of cooling the heat of the 
blood, and correcting the acrimony of the bile ! these are succours 
the more precious, because the poorest among us may enjoy them. 

Let us cease then to complain of the heat of the sun, or the load 
of suffering under which we languish : both belong to the plan of 
Divine Wisdom: both are assuaged by a thousand means, and should 
excite us to render to the Sovereign of the world, and the Arbiter of 
our lot, homage, honour, glory, and thanksgiving. 



JULY XXV. 

DIFFERENT INSTINCTS AND REMARKABLE PROPERTIES IN ANIMALS. 

Of all parts of nature, the animal kingdom presents us with most 
wonders ; and, to a lover of natural history, the different properties^ 
and different instincts of animals are a most interesting study. But 
to a reflecting mind, it is something more than merely an agreeable 
object : and the operations of animals induce him to trace them back 
to that wisdom which cannot be fathomed, because it surpasses all 
human conceptions. Let this effect be produced in us, whilst we 
notice the singularities observable in certain animals. 

The manner in which birds and insects lay their eggs, is worthy of 
admiration. The grasshopper, the lizard, the tortoise, and the cro- 
codile, take no care either of their eggs or young. They lay their 
,egffs on the ground, and leave tlie care of hatching them to the sun. 



346 JULY XXV. 



DiflFerent instincts and remarkable properties in animals. 



Other species of animals, by natural instinct, lay their eggs in those 
places where the young ones, the moment they come out of the shell 
find a sufficiency of nourishment. The mothers are never mistaken. 
The butterfly which proceeds from the cabbage-caterpillar, never 
lays her eggs upon flesh; and the fly which feeds upon flesh, never 
Uys her's upon the cabbage. Some aiaimals have so much solicitude 
for their eggs, that they carry them whithersoever they go. The 
spider called the wanderer^ carries her's in a little silken bag. When 
they are hatched, they arrange themselves in a particular order on 
the back of their mother, who carries this burthen about with her ; 
and continues for some time to take care of them. Certain flies lay 
their eggs in the bodies of living insects ; and sometimes in their 
nests. It is well known that there is not a plant which does not 
serve both to feed and lodge many insects. A fly pierces an oak leaf, 
and lays an ^gg in the hole which she has made : this w^ound quickly 
closes : the place swells up, and there appears an excrescence on 
the leaf, commonly called a gall. The ^gg that was enclosed in this 
grooving gall, grows with it ; and the 'insect which proceeds from it. 
finds, as soon as it is born, both a habitation and nourishment. 

The care which animals take of their young is almost incredible : 
and their love for them is often greater than for their own lives. 
With what tenderness do the quadrupeds nourish their young ! They 
cure their wounds by licking them ; they carry them from place to 
place, when any danger threatens ; they keep them near to them^ 
selves, defend and guide them. If they are carnivorous animals, what 
pains does the dam take to get them a morsel of flesh ! With what 
art does she instruct them to pursue their prey, to divert themselves 
with it w^hen they have taken it ; and lastly, to tear it in pieces ! It is 
impossible to read, w^ithout being affected, the account of a bitch, who, 
while they w^ere dissecting her, continued to lick her whelps ; as if 
she sought in this maternal care some relief to her own sufferings ! 
and set up a lamentable cry, the instant they took them away from 
her. Certain sea-animals during a storm, hide their young in their 
bellies, and then let them out when the tempest is over. 

Each species of animals has its peculiar inclinations and wants ; 
and the Creator provides for both. Let us, for example, consider the 
creatures which are obliged to seek their nourishment in the wdnter : 
and particularly aquatic birds. Nature has coated over their feathers 
Avith a kind of gummy oil, through which the water cannot penetrate : 
by this means they are never w^et in diving, which would render them 
incapable of flying. The proportions of their bodies are different 
also from those of other birds. Their legs are placed more behind, 
that they may stand upright in the water, and extend their wings 
above it. That they may be able to swim, their feet are provided 
with webs, which connecting the toes, serve them as oars. That 
they ma}'- readily dive, nature has given their bodies a peculiar con- 
struction : and that they may the more readily seize their prey, they 



JULY XXV. ^ 347 



Different instincts and remarkable properties In animals. 



have a large beak, and a long neck. In a word, they are formed 
exactly in that way which their mode of living requires. 

The nautilus is a kind of shell-fish, nearly resembling the shell- 
snail. Whan it wishes to arise, it places itself on the forepart of its 
shell ; and to render it light, it expels the water by a little opening. 
When it desires to descend, it withdraws itself into the bottom of its 
shell ; which, filling with water, becomes heavy and sinks. If it 
wishes to sail, it artfully turns its shell, which becomes a little gon- 
dola, and then it spreads a thin membrane to the wind, which serves 
for a sail. Possibly it was from the nautilus that men first learnt the 
art of navigation. 

It is the same with the actions of animals as with their make. 
The same wisdom which has formed their bodies, has arranged their 
members, and assigned them a common use ; it has also regulated the 
different actions which we see them perform ; and directs them to 
that end which it has proposed in their creation. The brute is led 
to this by the invisible hand of its Creator : it performs perfect 
works, which excite our admiration ; and appears to act by reason. 
It stops when necessary; regulates its works according to circum- 
stances ; and yet perhaps only follows the impulse of certain hidden 
springs which make it move. It is as an instrument, which cannot 
judge of the work it has executed : but it is directed by the adorable 
Avisdom of our Creator, who has circumscribed every insect, as well 
as every plant, within a sphere from which it cannot depart. When 
therefore we notice the different instincts and industry of animals, we 
should feel the spirit of veneration, and acknowledge we beheld a 
scene where the Almighty operator hid himself behind a curtain. 
But he who contemplates the works of nature with seriousness, will 
discover the hand of God every where ; and an examination of the 
wonderful structure of created beings, cannot fail to fill him with 
gratitude to, and reverence for, the Creator. 



JULY XXVI. 

THE HUMAN FACE. 

The exterior part of the human body already proclaims man's supe- 
riority over every living creature. His face, directed towards heaven, 
announces this dignity, which is, in a certain sense, impressed on all 
his features ; so that we may in some measure judge from the coun- 
tenance of man, what his dignity and destination are. 

While the soul enjoys uninterrupted tranquillity, the features re- 
main in a calm and composed state : but when it is agitated with dis- 
orderly passions, the countenance becomes a living picture, where 
the passions are painted with as much energy as delicacy. Every 
affection of the soul has its peculiar impression ; and every change 
in the countenance is the true characteristic of the most secret emo- 



348 JULY XXVL 



The human face. 



tions of the heart. The eye, in particular, expresses them so visibly, 
that it is impossible to mistake it : it is more particularly the imme- 
diate organ of the soul than all the other organs of sense. The 
most tumultuous passions, and the gentlest affections, are painted with 
the greatest exactness in this mirror. The eye, therefore, may be 
termed the true interpreter of the mind, and the organ of the hu- 
man intellect. The colour of the eyes, and their quick or slow mo- 
tion, contribute much to characterize the physiognomy. Our eyes 
are proportionably nearer to each other than they are in any other 
living creature. The space which separates them in most animals, is 
so great, that it is impossible for them to see the same object with 
both eyes at once, unless it be at a very great distance. 

The eyebrows, together with the eyes, contribute most to the for- 
mation of the countenance. These parts being of a widely different 
nature from the rest, their particular colour renders them more strik- 
ing than the rest of the features. The eyebrows are the shade of 
the picture, which exhibits the drapery and colours. When the eye- 
lashes are long and thick, they contribute much to render the eye more 
beautiful, and the look more pleasing. There are no creatures, ex- 
cept men and monkies, which have both the eyelids adorned with 
eyelashes. Other animals have none on the lower eyelid ; and in 
man, the upper eyelid has more than the lower. The eyebrows 
have only two sorts of motions, which they perform by the assistance 
of the muscles of the forehead. By the assistance of one they are 
raised ; by means of another they are depressed. 

The eyelids guard the eye, and prevent the cornea from becoming 
loo dry. The upper one can raise and depress itself; the lower has 
little motion. Although we can move our eyelids when we please, 
yet, when grown heavy with sleep, it is impossible for us to keep 
them open. 

The forehead is the most important part of the face ; and one of 
those which contributes most to its beauty. In order to this, it must 
have a proper proportion ; neither too full nor too fiat, too great nor 
too small, and the hair properly planted on it, so as to form its out- 
line and ornament. 

The nose is that part of the face which projects most, and has the 
least motion. Indeed it has scarcely any, except in violent passions. 
It serves more for the beauty of the whole, than for any thing that 
it expresses by itself. 

The mouth and the lips are, on the contrary, capable of many 
dianges ; and, next to the eyes, the mouth expresses the passions 
best, by the various forms it assumes. The tongue serves also to ani- 
mate and set it in play. The redness of the liys, and the whiteness 
of the teeth, add to the charms of the face. 

Hitherto we have only examined the human face relatively to the 
regularity and beauty of its component parts, without attempting to 
explain the different purposes and uses of these parts. But even 
ynder this one point of view, we may discover the infinite wisdom of 



JULY XXVI. 349 



The human face. 



Him, who in all his Avorks takes care to unite beauty and utility. 
We, whose admiration is so often excited by the beauty which shines 
in our fellow-creatures, ought to sanctify that admiration, and even 
increase it, by reflecting on Him, whose wisdom and goodness are so 
conspicuous in the human frame. When we consider our face, it 
would be well to meditate in silence on the prerogatives which the 
Creator, in forming our features, has given us over all other living 
creatures. It would be well also to consider the great ends for which 
man was formed ; concerning which even the features of his face may 
help to instruct him. His features were given him for the most no- 
ble purposes : purposes which the brute creation cannot fulfil. Our 
eyes were formed that they might take the most delightful prospect 
of the works of God : our mouth should sing the praises of our ado- 
rable Creator. In a word, all the features of our face should bear 
testimony to the uprightness of our hearts, and the rectitude of our 
sentiments. 

Finally the ravages which sickness and death make on the face, 
should prevent us from being proud of our accomplishments. This 
last consideration should lead us to meditate on the happiness which 
shall follow the resurrection of the just, whose bodies shall be trans- 
formed, embellished, and rendered capable of enjoying all the hap- 
piness of an eternal glory. 



JULY XXVII. 

ON THE GRAVITY OF BODIES. 

God has endowed bodies with a force which acts at all times, in all 
places, and in all directions. If a body endeavour to move towards 
one point more particularly than towards another, it is said to gra- 
vitate to that point. For experience teaches us, that bodies tend 
downwards ; or if they be at a distance from the surface of the earth, 
they will, if unsupported, fall down in a straight line. It is by no 
means in the body itself that we must seek the cause of its gravity; 
for a body that falls, remains in the state in which it fell, till some ex- 
terior cause displaces it. It is equally impossible that the air should 
be the cause of this gravity ; since, being itself heavy, it must resist 
the velocity of falling bodies. We must, therefore, seek the cause 
of this gravity elsewhere. Perhaps the opinion which comes near- 
est the truth is, that the earth has the same power of attracting bo- 
dies placed at a certain distance from it, as the loadstone has of at- 
tracting iron. But it is possible that the cause of gravity is some 
foreign matter, which is distributed through all bodies. 

Although we cannot perfectly determine the cause of this property 
of bodies, yet nothing is more evident than the advantages which re- 
sult from it. AVithout gravity, we could not possibly move ourselves 
as we now do. Our centre of gravity is about the middle of our 



360 JULY XXVII. 



On the gravity of bodies. 



body. When we lift up the right foot, we must bear this centre on 
the left. If we stoop forward, we are in danger of falling; but by- 
advancing the right foot we prevent the fall, and make a step. Thus, 
our walking is, in some sort, a series of continually prevented falls ; 
during which, the centre of gravity is preserved between our feet. 
Hence it is, that in going up a hill, we bend the body forward ; and 
in going down^ bend it back. We also stoop forward when we car- 
ry a burthen upon our shoulders ; and lean back when we carry one 
in our arms. All this is regulated according to the laws of gravity, 
Avhich direct the motions of animals when they walk, swim, or fly. 

The same laws regulate the motions of those prodigious bodies 
which roll in the firmament. The sun attracts the planets ; and 
each planet in its turn attracts its satellites ; or, what amounts to the 
same, the planets gravitate towards the sun, and the satellites towards 
the planets : for bodies which revolve in a circle would depart in a 
right line from it, if they met with no obstacle. The planets revolve 
in their orbits with astonishing velocity, and yet never deviate from 
their course, and the moon never flies ofl' from the earth, though 
attached by no chain to our globe. It would seem, therefore, that 
so rapid a motion as that of the moon must project it far into un- 
limited space, wexe there not some power which continually impelled 
it towards our earth, and became a counterpoise to its centrifugal 
force. That power is the gravitation of the moon toward the earth. 
Were our earth itself, either higher or heavier than it is, what 
would be the consequence ? It would either get too near, or too far 
ofl' from the sun. In the first case no person would be able to en- 
dure the heat ; in the second, the cold would be insupportable. 
Every thing on the face of the earth would be either burnt up, or 
frozen. What then would become of the seasons ? And what would 
become of a thousand things, so indispensably necessary to the being 
and comfort of men ? 

Here again, O Supreme wisdom ! we find a monument of thy 
wonders. By a cause so small, in appearance, thou givest motion to 
animals, and to the celestial bodies. By the laws of gravity alone, 
thou preventest even the smallest grain of dust from being lost, either 
from our earth, or from any of the other globes. But it is in this 
that the greatness of thy power and wisdom consists, that often the 
greatest and most astonishing effects are produced by means which 
appear to us the most insignificant. In this respect, what an infinite 
difference is there between God and man ! Vast preparations, and 
complicated means, are necessary for us to bring about the least im- 
portant ends ! He who discovers not the greatness of God here, must 
be very inattentive, or very ungrateful. May we endeavour to avoid 
both ! May we consider the gravity of bodies as one . of the means 
of our terrestrial happiness; and magnify our Creator with our 
whole hearts for this wise ordinance ! 



JULY XXVllI. 351 



Various effects in nature proceed from the same cause. 



JULY XXVIIL 

I^ARIOUS EFFECTS IN NATURE PROCEED FROM THE SAME CAUSE. 

Universal nature is an endless chain of causes and effectb. 
And, as the parts of the universe are connected with each other, 
every motion and every event depends on a preceding cause ; and 
this event becomes, in its turn, the cause of those effects which suc- 
ceed it. The whole constitution of the world is well calculated to 
convince us, that not chance, but Divine art, and a wisdom beyond 
our conception, first erected this astonishing edifice, impressed motion 
on its different parts, and determined the great chain of events de- 
pending on, and succeeding each other. It is not difficult to acquire 
this degree of knowledge : for, though that which we have of the 
constitution of nature be very limited; we nevertheless still see a 
number, of important effects, derived from causes evident enough to 
the human understanding. Many natural phenomena may furnish 
us with examples of this. 

What a variety of effects does the heat of the sun produce ! It 
does not only contribute to the life of an innumerable multitude of 
animals, but also to the vegetation of plants : to the ripening of seeds 
and fruits; to the fluidity of water; to the elevation of vapours, and 
the formation of clouds, without which neither rain nor dew could fall 
upon the earth. 

The air also is so constituted as to accomplish a variety of^^urpo- 
ses at once. By means of this element, animal bodies are preserved, 
the lungs cooled, and all the vital motions acquire energy. By air the 
fire burns, and by it the flame is fed. By its motion and undulations, 
it quickly conveys all sorts of sounds to the ear. It gives a spring to 
winged animals, and enables them to fly from place to place. It opens 
man an easy path through the great deep ; the vast expanse of which 
he could not pass over without it. It is by the air that the clouds are sus- 
pended in the atmosphere ; till becoming too weighty they fall down in 
rain. By the air the morning and evening twilight is formed, which 
tend to lengthen out the day ; and without it the gift of speech, and 
the sense of hearing, would be useless to us. All these advantages, 
and many more, depend on that air in which we live and breathe. 
This wonderful element which encompasses our globe, which is too 
subtile to be perceived by the eye, and whose force notwithstanding, 
is so great that no other element is able to resist : is surely an evident 
proof of the wisdom of our Creator \ 

The force of gravitation alone, which subsists in all bodies, esta- 
blishes the earth, preserves the mountains, and gives fluidity to the 
waters. It confines the ocean in its depths, and the earth in the orbit 
which was prescribed to it. It maintains each being in its proper 
place in nature ; and preserves, between the heavenly bodies, those 
distances which should separate them. 



352 JULY XXVIil. 



Various effects in nature proceed from the same cause. 



Who can describe the various uses of water ? It serves in general 
to • dilate, soften, and mix a great number of bodies, which we could 
not otherwise use. It is the most wholesome of all drinks ; the best 
nourishment of plants ; and gives motion to our mills, and to a vast 
number of machines ; procures us a multitude of fish, and brings us the 
treasures of other worlds. 

How various and innumerable are the effects -which, fire produces ! 
By it, solid bodies are either melted and changed into fluids, or be- 
come solid bodies of another kind. It causes fluids to boil, or reduces 
them into vapour. By it, heat is distributed through all bodies; 
and it contributes to procure animals not only life, but its principal 
comforts. 

It is not only in the kingdom of nature that we see the most diver- 
sified effects proceeding from the same cause; for, often in the 
moral world, one single propensity of the soul produces effects not 
less diversified. Let us for example, consider the natural inclinatiou 
we have to love our fellow creatures. From this proceeds the care 
which parents take of their children, the social union, the bonds of 
friendship, patriotism, goodness in those who govern, and fidelity in 
those who obey. Thus a single propensity, keeps each individual in 
the circle prescribed for him ; becomes the bond of civil society, the 
princij[)}e, in the hands of God, of all virtuous actions, noble enterpri- 
ses, and innocent recreations. All this proves that the materials which 
compose the vi'^orld were not thrown together by chance, without rela- 
tion to, or connection with, each other : but on the contrary, that the 
worldii^ a regular whole, which the Divine Power has arranged with 
infinite wisdom. 

In every part, in every phenomenon of the visible world, some rays 
of inefTable wisdom blaze forth before our eyes. Bui how much 
escapes the most attentive examination, and the profoundest researches 
of the most enlightened genius ! If we seek in an object traces of 
the Divine Wisdom ; sometimes it shows itself on one side of the 
object, while it seems to hide itself on the other. Let not this dis^ 
courage us from meditating on the works of God : and let us use 
the wonders which he doth discover to us, to excite us to glorify his 
name. Then our hearts shall feel the truth and force of those words 
of David: "The works of thg Lord are great: sought out of all 
those who have pleasure therein." Psa. cxi. 2. 



JULY XXIX. 

SOME DISEASES OF PLANTS. 

Vegetables are subject to many diseases. Sometimes they are 
covered with a whitish matter, which sticks to them like dust, this is 
called the mildew. This does not proceed from insects, as is com- 
monly believed, but from a stagnation in the juices, and a com- 



JULY XXIX. 353 



Diseases of plants. 



mencement of corruption, which attracts the insects, and entices 
them to lay their eggs upon it. The stagnation of the juices is the 
first stage of corruption ; and it is supposed that this alone is suffi- 
cient to attract insects, because they are seen swarming by thousands, 
as soon as, through a natural or artificial cause, the circulation of the 
juices is stopped in a tree. Hence it is, that the weakest and worst 
situated trees are most frequently exposed to this malady. If the in- 
sects were really the cause of it, it would be impossible to produce 
it by art : whereas, if a tree be designedly wounded, or be deprived 
of the care it requires, this is sufficient to bring the mildew. On a 
tree thus artificially weakened, thousands of insects settle at once : 
while the neighbouring trees are free from them. Thus, this cor- 
ruption should no more be attributed to insects, than that of flesh. It 
seems merel}'' to be occasioned by the stagnation of juices ; an acci- 
dent which many circumstances may occasion. 

Often a matter which resembles dew, but is gluey, sweet, and cor- 
rosive, scorches and mars the plants : this is called the ko7iey dewi 
It was imagined that insects extracted this gluey matter from vegeta- 
bles ; or that bees brought their honey thither. But many experi- 
ments have proved that this matter falls from the air in the form of 
dew. In some countries it lies in little drops on a number of vege- 
tables of different kinds ; and in the space of a night, it covers almost 
all the leaves of a long range of trees, on which before none was 
perceived. 

Possibly this dew may be formed from the exhalations of flowers* 
and the blossoms of trees ; from which the bees know how to ex- 
tract such good honey ; and if it fall in some places more than others, 
it must be owing to the direction of the wind. Perhaps also, this 
matter may be the effect of a disease in plants whose juices are vitia* 
ted, and which may attract insects as the mildew mentioned above i 
for the weakest ears, boughs, branches, bushes, and trees, are those 
which are most subject to this disease. It has also been observed, 
that the leaves on which this species of dew falls, spot, blacken, and 
spoil ; and it is very probable that this substance is the cause of it. 

Here also we find traces of the wisdom of the Creator ; for, seeing 
the insects have need of nourishment, it is for our benefit that they 
should be obliged to seek it on those vegetables which, on account of 
their diseased state, would be unprofitable or injurious to us. This 
is new proof of the particular provision which God made for man 
when he established the world. It is owing to this wise arrange- 
iment that these animals take nothing of what is necessary for our 
support ; but, on the contrary, attach themselves to that which would 
be destructive to us. It is a truth, that in the economy of nature, 
each plant, tree, and animal, serves for the support of different spe- 
cies of animals. We avenge ourselves on those which are trouble- 
some to us by seeking to destroy them : probably we should be ra- 
ther led to preserve them, if we consider how useful they are, and 
how little real damage the greater part of them occasions. 

45 



354 JULY XXX 



Means of subsistence which nature provides for animals. 



JULY XXX. 

MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE WHICH NATURE PROVIDES FOR ANIMALS. 

It is a great proof of the goodness of the Divine Omnipotence, that 
a suffiriency of food is provided to support all the living creatures 
with which the world is stocked. It is not indeed astonishing, that 
the countries under the temperate zones should furnish subsistence 
for their inhabitants : but, that it should be the same every where 
else, even in places where we could least expect to find food and pas- 
ture, and that the necessary aliments should ever be found in suffi- 
cient quantity to support so many species of animals, is wliat must be 
attributed to the tender care of a wise Providence. We may first 
observe, that God has proportioned sustenance to the wants of the 
animals which are to consume il. 

This supply is superabundant almost every where : but this pro- 
fusion is not such, as that the aliments corrupt and get spoiled, for 
this would be prejudicial to the world. What is most remarkable in 
this matter is, that among so many sorts of food, the most useful and 
necessary are in general the most common ; and such as are most 
easily multiplied. As there are a great many creatures which feed 
on grass, the fields, which are numerous, are well covered with grass 
and wholesome plants, which grow of themselves, and easily resist 
the intemperature of the air. Is it not a matter worthy of attention^ 
that corn, vvhich is the principal food of man, can be cultivated with 
so little trouble, and muhiplies itself in so astonishing a manner? 
For instance, if a bushel of wheat be sown in a good soil, it will pro- 
duce one hundred and fifty. 

Is it not a very wise appointment of the Creator, that the taste of 
animals should be so different ; that some love to feedi on herbs, 
others on corn : some on flesh, others on worms, insects, &;c. Some 
are easily satisfied, others are insatiable. If all sorts of animals 
must have had the same kind of food, the earth would be speedily 
turned into ,a vast desert. Those different tastes which we perceive 
among animals, is a certain proof, that it is not by chance that they 
are attached to this or that sort of food; but is owing to natural in- 
stinct, which causes them to prefer those aliments which are best 
suited to the nature of their bodies. By this means, all the produc- 
tions of the earth and sea are well distributed. Not only every liv- 
ing creature is richly provided for; but even the things which, be- 
con:ing corrupt, would be injurious, serve for a useful purpose: for, 
the most wholesome plarits would perish, and the dead carcasses of 
fish, birds, and beasts, would exhale a most deadly poison, without this 
wise appointment of the Creator, who has ordained, that various ani- 
mals should find in these things an agreeable nourishment. 

Food offers itself spontaneously to the greater part of beasts ; not- 
withstanding, they require great art to discern it ; and must be pru- 
dent and cautious in their choice. Their aliments are so prepared, 



JULY XXX. 355 



Subsistence which nature provides for animals. 



that what is useful to one species, is hurtful to another, and turns to 
poison. After many experiments, botanists have found that coics eat 
of 276 kinds of grass and herbs ; and reject 218. That goats use 
449,Tind leave 126 untouched. That sheep feed on 387, and that there 
are 141 which they will not eat. That \\\q horse takes 262, and rejects 
212. That52i/-meare contented with 72, and that there are 171 which 
they will not feed on. Other animals are obliged to seek their food 
laboriously, and afar off; to dig for it in the earth, or to collect it from 
a thousand places where it is scattered, or even to draw it from another 
element. Several are obliged to choose the most favourable time of 
the night, that they may satisfy their hunger in safety ; others have to 
prepare their food, take the seeds out of their husks, break those which 
are hard, swallow little stones in order to assist digestion, take off the 
heads of insects, on which they feed, break the bones of the prey they 
have taken, and turn the fish which they have seized that they may 
swallow them by the head. Many would perish, did they not collect 
in their nests provisions for the future. Others could never catch their 
prey vvithout having recourse to wiles and cunning, spreading their 
nets, laying their snares, and digging holes. Some pursue their prey 
on the land, others in the water, and others in the air. 

The more the nourishment of animals, and their manner of procu- 
ring it, are diversified, the more we should admire the wisdom and 
goodness of God in the preservation of his creatures. Let us reflect 
on the glorious perfections of our heavenly Father. How many occa* 
sions do we find to magnify his name ! 



JULY XXXI. 

A HYMN OF PRAISEi 

Glory be to God Most High ! Magnify the Lord, O ye heavens ! 
Who could not delight to praise his name ? Thou sun, exalt his 
poxver ; thou moon, magnify thy Author ; ye stars, the brilliant flam- 
beaux of the night, glorify our God ! Ye clouds, which he suspends 
in the air, proclaim his greatness! He has spoken, and ye received 
existence ! Let all beings rejoice in his goodness ! Celebrate him, 
all ye inhabitants of the earth ! Let the monsters from the depths of 
the abyss, praise their Creator ! L^t the fire proclaim his power, and 
the mountains his strength ! Let the ascending vapours be an incense 
to his praise ! Let the tempest, which terrifies by its noise, while it 
is a blessing to the world, be a hymn in honour of his power ! Ye 
peaceful flocks which feed on the grass of the fields ; and ye trees laden 
with blessings, celebrate the beneficent God ? Let the notes of the 
airy songsters ; let the industry of the insect which crawls on the 
earth ; and let all that exist, magnify his Majesty ! Great is the Lord 
Jehovah ! Let us praise and exalt his name ! The heavens and the 
earth are full of his glory. 



356 JULY XXXI * 



Varieties in the stature of man 



JULY XXXI.* 

VARIETIES IN THE STATURE OF MAN. 

The whole height of the human body varies considerably, and 
whether more or less, is here of little consequence. The ordinary 
height is from five to six feet. Some cf those who inhabit the north- 
ern countries along the frozen seas, are less than five f^et high. The 
shortest men we know of, are those who inhabit the tops of the moun- 
tains in the island of Madagascar. These are scarcely four feet 
high. Many of these dwarfish people came originally from countries 
where the inhabitants are of the ordinary size ; and the principal 
cause of thei*- degeneracy must be sought in the nature of the cli- 
mate where they now live. The excessive cold which prevails there 
during the greatest part of the year, causes both vegetables and ani- 
mals to be less than in other places : and may it not have the same 
influence on men ? 

On the other hand, there are nations of a gigantic size. Of these 
the most celebrated are the Patago'ri.ians, who dwell near the Straits 
of Magellan. We are assured that they are from seven to Uvelve feet 
high. It should not appear impossible that there are people of a 
larger size than Europeans : for, besides the traces which we have 
of this in antiquity, we have seen, in our own climate, men from six 
feet and a half to eight feet high,*and upward, who were, notwith- 
standing, in general, well made, healthy, and fit for all those exercises 
and labours which require activit\" and strength. 

Adorable Creator ! thy wisdom is evident also in the varieties of 
the human form. All that thou hast made, in the animal, vegetable, 
and mineral kingdoms, has been by weight, number, and measure. 
Every thing bears thy image: the dwarf, as well as the giant ; the 
blade of grasSy as well as the oak ; the worm^ as well as the elephant. 



AUGUST. 



AUGUST I. 

A MEDITATION ON THE WORKS OF NATURE. 

O Father, Creator of the universe, and Preserver of every livmg 
creature ; how great is thy majesty ! How many are the wonders 
which thou presentest to the eyes of man ! It is thy hand which has 
spread out these heavens, and strewed them with stars ! 



AUGUST I. 357 



A meditation on the works of nature. 



To-day, I yet behold the sun coming forth in all his splendour, to 
fe-animaie nature. To-morrow it is possible I shall not enjoy the 
pleasure of hearing those birds which now cause the woods, valleys, 
and fields, to resound with their melodious notes. I feel that 1 am 
mortal, and my life withers like the grass of the fields : it fades as 
the flower cut otf from the branch where it grew. Who can tell 
how soon that word of the Almighty shall reach my ear : Man, return 
to thy dust I 

When the grave shall have swallowed me up, when silence and 
darkness shall have encompassed me about, when worms shall 
have fed on my mortal body; what will then remain of all my earthly 
possessions ? shall not all be lost to me, though all had here suc- 
ceeded according to my wishes^ and I had enjoyed unmixed happi- 
ness ? 

O how foolish should I be, were I to attach myself to the perishing 
goods of this life! were I to aspire after great riches, or be ambitious 
of empty honours; or if, permitting myself to be dazzled by vain 
splendour, envy and pr'de should find access to my heart ! 

If, too eager in my desires, I have pursued what I ought not to 
have aspired to, I humble myself before thee, God; Behold me, 
O my Maker; and let that which thy wisdom has appointed, be done 
unto me I 

Foolish man, who is led astray by pride, prescribes laws to his 
Creator ! He dares to blame the purposes of Eternal Wisdom ! And 
thou, Almighty Friend of Man ! thou lovest him more than he loves 
himself, when thy goodness denies him those deceitful enjoyments 
which are the objects of his wishes. 

When in the morning, on the green turf covered with dew, every 
thing presents itself in a pleasing form; when the wings of the night 
have cooled the sultry air of summer. Wisdom thus accosts me: O 
mortal, why dost thou torment thyself with anxious cares about the 
future? Why dost thou abandon thyself to wretchedness? Is not 
God thy Father? Art not thou his child ? Shall not he who formed 
thee, take care of his own work ? The plan of thy existence is not 
limited by earth ; it takes in eternity ! Thy life is but a moment, and 
».he longest earthly felicity is no more than a pleasing dream. O man, 
God has made thee immortal. 

The contemplation of immortality elevates us above the earth, 
the universe, and time itself. Manifest thyself in my heart, when 
seduced by false views, I am ready to depart from the paths of 
virtue ! 

The roses which crown the head of the vicious, shall soon fade; 
his shameful enjoyments dishonour him, and repentance succeeds 
them. I am only a sojourner upon earth; and immortal joys alone 
are worth my pursuit. 

O Thou, who delightest in dispensing blessings, give me a heart 
which loves nothing but goodness; a heart where virtue and holiness 
reign. Let others covet worldly prosperity ; I ask of thee, my God, 



358 AUGUST I. 



A meditation on the wjrks of nature. 



grace to be contented with my situation, to make me faithful in the 
discharge of rny duty, and deserving the name of a wise man and a 
Christian I 



AUGUST I.* 

AN EXHORTATION TO PRAISE GOD. 

My soul, bless the Lord ; and let all that is within me praise his holy 
name ! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits ! Is 
he not thy Father, and thy Sovereign? Is it not he who has given 
thee thy being; who has created thee immortal, intelligent, and capa- 
ble of knowing and praising Him ? Is it not the Lord who has formed 
thy frame, that wonderful assemblage of flesh and veins ; who main- 
tains thy breath, and keeps all thy bones that not one of them is bro- 
ken ? To whom art thou indebted for life, health, and happiness? 
Is it not to thy God ? Look behind on the path in which he has led 
thee from the first moment of thy existence : is it not covered with 
monuments of his goodness ? 

Being favoured by thy Creator, lift thy eyes and contemplate the 
innumerable benefits which surround thee : but at the same time fix 
thy thoughts on futurity; and see what faith discovers beyond the 
grave. Endeavour to conceive the ecstacy thou shalt experience, 
when freed from evil and imperfection : immersed in holy and 
heavenly joy, and clothed with a glorious body, thou shalt approach 
God'thy Creator and preserver; and Jesus, who has purchased thee 
this celestial happiness, who shall place thee upon his throne, that 
thou mayest eternally enjoy his glory ! 

Prostrate thyself, child of God, and inheritor of eternal happiness ! 
Prostrate thyself, and let emotions of the most lively gratitude fill thy 
whole heart; and begin here below the occupation of eternity! 
Praise the Lord, my soul ! 



AUGUST II. 

VEGETATION OF THE STALK OF WHEAT. 

The wheat plant is composed of the principal stem, the stalks 
growing out of the sides, and the branches which spring out of those. 
The stalk begins to form as soon as four green leaves make their ap- 
pearance. If the little plant be then taken, and the under leaf be 
cautiously pressed or separated, a little white point will appear, 
which by degrees grows into a stalk, and the root appears under the 
first leaf. The white point grows out of the substance of a knob, 
unfolds itself into green leaves, and produces a new point at the side. 
But these different points, and the stalks which grow out of them, are 
riot all designed to bear fruit ; several of them wither and fall off. 



AUGUST II. 359 



Vesetalioa ot'llie sialic of wheat. 



When the principal stem has gotten a little growth, a considerable 
revolution takes place in the plant ; all the sap is then employed in the 
formation of the ear. 

But before this, when the plant begins to vegetate, four, sometimes 
six leaves, are observed to spring from so many knobs : these prepare 
the nutritive juice for the ear, which may be seen in niiniature, when 
in spring, we divide a stalk in the middle. Even in autumn, this ear 
may be seen like a little cluster, to which ihe knobs are still very 
closely united. Wlien the plant begins to put forth his seed, the 
two upper leaves of the stalk join together, enclose the ear, and pro- 
tect it, till it has acquired some degree of consistence. Before this, 
all the knobs, an-d particularly the two last (still very soft) are very 
close together ; and the intervals which separate these knobs are, of 
course, very small ; but as soon as the ear has pierced through its 
coats, all these parts lengthen, and the leaves give them up all the 
juices they contain. The knobs harden by degrees, the lower leaves 
dry up, and the sap which nourishes them is now employed only in 
streniTthenino- the stalk. 

After all these preparations, the blossom appears: -which furnished 
the grain with its best nourishment. This blossom is a small white 
tube extremely slender, which comes from the seed leaf. j\Jany 
other little tubes encompass this bag : they are at first yellowish, after- 
ward they grow brown, and finally become blackish, before they 
fade and fall off. The principal use of these tubes is, to nourish a 
little tuft, which may be seen in the seed-bag. As soon as the corn 
has done blossoming, the grains which contain the germ are seen, and 
which come to their perfection a longtime before the mealy substance 
appears. This substance gradually multiplies, whilst the sap col- 
lects round a part extremely fine and delicate, resembling down. 
This down, which continues after the blossom, serves among other 
•uses, to support the opening of the great canal or tube which goes 
through the corn. The fruit ripens as soon as it has attained its full 
growth : then the tube and the ears begin to grow white ; and the 
green colour of the seeds changes into a yellow, or dark blown. 
These seeds are notwithstanding very soft as yet ; and their mealy 
part contains a great deal of moisture : but when it arrives at its full 
maturity, it becomes dry and hard. 

We cannot sufficiently admire that wisdom of God which appears 
in the formation and growth of a stalk of wheat. Those who are ac- 
customed to reflection may see it in the smallest tube. For instance : 
the leaves which surround it, before it has acquired its natural size, 
have their use ; and it appears that the wisdom of the Creator has 
placed them round the stalk for the same purpose that an architect 
erects a scaffolding about the building which he intends to rear ; and 
which he pulls down when the building is completed. For, as 
soon as the tube has acquired the length and consistence which it 
ought to have, the leaves which protected it dry and perish. 
Whole months pass away before the ear ventures to expose itself 



360 AUGUST II. 



Vegetation of the stalk of wheat. 



to the action of the air ; but as soon as all is prepared for the forma- 
tion of the fruits and flowers, they appear in a few days. With 
what skill are the tubes and ears constructed ! If the first were 
higher, the nutritious juice could not so well penetrate them. If, on 
the contrary, the grain had been placed lower, birds, and other ani- 
mals, could easily reach to, and destroy it. If the stem were weaker 
and thinner, the wind would break it ; and if it were stronger and 
thicker, small animals might lodge in it, and the birds perch on it and 
pick out the grain. 

Merciful and beneficent Father ! may all those who at present 
walk around the fields of wheat, and behold, with joy, that forest of 
waving ears, feel, at the sight, all those sentiments of admiration and 
love which thy wisdom and goodness should naturally excite. May 
each of those, for whose sake thou causest these abundant harvests 
to ripen, render the thanks which are so justly thy due ! 



AUGUST IIL 

THE DOG-DAYS. 

The sun appears to have not only a diurnal motion, which conveys 
it not only from east to west, and which causes day and night; but 
also another motion from west to east, by means of which it returns 
at the end of 365 days to the same star in the heavens, from which 
it appeared to have been removing for six months ; and to which it 
seemed to approach for the other six. 

Hence ancient astronomers divided the seasons by the stars, which 
the sun seemed to pass in his annual course. This course they divi- 
ded into twelve constellations ; these are the twelve signs of the 
zodiac, which they termed the twelve houses of the sun ; because he 
seemed to dwell a month in each of these signs. 

The summer season begins when the sun enters Cancer : which 
happens the 21st or 22d of June. The sun is then at its greatest 
height above our horizon, and sends his rays almost perpendicularly 
upon us : and it is at this time that the heats of summer begin, 
which increase more and more in the following month, in proportion 
as the earth iy heated by the scorching rays of the sun. Hence it is 
that the month of July, and a part of August, are generally the hot- 
test part of the year : and experience has proved, that the heat is at 
its greatest height from the 20th July to the 20th August. Now of all 
the stars with which the sun comes into conjunction, the dog-star is 
the most brilliant. Lost in the rays of the sun, it disappears from our 
eyes for a month, as is successively the case with all the stars which 
the sun meets with in its course : and the month of its disappearance 
is the time called the dog-days. 

These observations would be of little importance, if they did not 
serve to combat a prejudice deeply rooted in the minds of many. 



AUGUST III. 361 



Dogdays. 



An old tradition attributes the heat which is commonly felt in these 
times to the influence of the dog-star on the earth, on men, and on 
animals. This opinion is absurd from this circumstance only, that 
the occultation of the dog-star in the rays of the sun, does not 
always take place in that time which we call the dog-days. These 
days, properly speaking, do not begin till the end of August, and do 
not end till the 20th of September. And as the dog-star or Sirius, 
always advances further, it will in time reach to October and Novem- 
ber; and in the end to January : so that the most intense cold of the 
year will prevail in the dog-days. 

When we reflect on this, we see it is impossible that this star should 
occasion those heats which are felt on the earth, and the consequences 
resulting from them. Wheri, therefore, in the supposed dog-days, 
wine or beer spoils in bad cellars ; when matters apt to ferment turn 
sour; when ponds dry up, and fountains cease to flow; when dogs, 
and other animals, and even men themselves, are attacked with mad- 
ness ; when we are seized with maladies, which an imprudent con- 
duct during the heat brings upon us : this does not happen because a 
star is hidden behind the sun ; it is the extreme heat of the air in 
that season, and our own imprudence, which are the alone causes of 
all these effects. 

It is therefore high time to renounce a prejudice which does little 
honour to the human understanding. He that can persuade himself 
that certain figures which his imagination has placed in the sky, 
can have any influence on the earth, or on the health and reason 
of man, discovers a great want of judgment. It is not the stars, 
but ourselves, that we should accuse of the evils which we suf- 
fer. If, therefore, mortal maladies should prevail at this season, let 
us beware of attributing this to the influence of the dog-star, which 
is purely chimerical : let us rather believe, that they originate in 
our inadvertency and misconduct. To consider the subject seriously : 
we sin against a Wise Providence, by indulging such prejudices. Can 
we suppose, that the supremely good God, who governs the world, 
has created any thing in heaven or earth for the torment and misery 
of his creatures ? Would not this be to believe in an inevitable fa- 
tality, which "we cannot admit, while we acknowledge a Creator 
whose essence is wisdom and goodness? Instead of being guilty of 
such an error, let us glorify God, and secure our own tranquillity, by 
believing that we are under the protection of a most indulgent Pa- 
rent ; without whose permission not even one of our hairs can 
perish. 



46 



362 AUGUST IV. 



Sleep. 



AUGUST IV. 

SLEEP. 

People fall asleep with more or less rapidity, according to their 
constitution and state of health. But whether sleep come suddenly, 
or slowly, it always comes in the same way : and the preceding cir- 
cumstances are the same in all men. 

The Jirst thing that happens when we begin to sleep, is the stupe- 
faction of the senses, which, no longer receiving impression from ex- 
ternal objects, relax and fall by degrees into a state of inactivity. 
Hence it follows, that the attention diminishes, and is at last lost ; the 
memory becomes disturbed, the passions become calm, and the con- 
nexion of thought and reasoning becomes deranged. As long as we 
perceive sleep, it is but the hrst step to it ; we are not sleeping, but 
dozing. To be properly asleep, we must have no longer that con- 
sciousness, that reflected idea of ourselves, which depends on the 
exercise of our memory. To the stupefaction of our senses is soon 
added a stiffness, and insurmountable resistance of the muscles. 
This is the second stage of sleep. This stage produces several symp- 
toms in the machine, which may be observed in those who sleep in a 
chair. The eyelids wink, and open and shut of themselves, and at 
last sink down : the head totters, and falls forward ; we endeavour to 
erect it, but it falls lower still ; and at last we have no more strength 
to raise it up, the chin rests on the breast, and in this attitude sleep 
is quietly continued. While the head continues to totter from side 
to side, all the muscles are not as yet completely relaxed ; but, a 
little after, the relaxation becomes total, and the will has no power to 
prevent it. When sleep is profound, all the voluntary and animal 
functions are suspended ; but the natural and vital functions are then 
performed with more effect. ' This is the third change which sleep 
produces in us. 

The preparation of humours by the chyle is better performed 
when we sleep. When we are awake, the natural motions are some- 
times disturbed by those which are voluntary: and the motion of the 
fluids is accelerated in some vessels, and retarded in others. The 
blood is wasted, so to speak, in external actions; and consequently it 
does not supply the internal parts in such abundance. The circula- 
tion of the blood is very strong in those parts of our bodies which 
are in motion ; and is continually pressing the humours in the secre- 
ting vessels, whilst on the contrary, it is so weak in others, that the 
chyle can scarcely be changed into blood. A sweet sleep re-esta- 
blishes i he equilibrium every where: the vessels are equally open- 
ed ; the juices run uniformly ; the heat is preserved in a proper de- 
gree : in a word nothing is dissipated; all goes to the profit of the 
machine. Hence it is, that after a good sleep, we feel rested, re- 
freshed, strong, and vigorous. 



AUGUST IV. 363 



Sleep. 



All these circumstances are well calculated to cause us to acknow- 
ledge the goodness of God towards us. What preparatives, what ten- 
der care, to procure us the blessing of sleep I What merits our at- 
tention and gratitude most is, that sleep is accompanied with a univer- 
sal stupefaction of the senses, which comes upon us unawares, and 
which we cannot resist. The first of these circumstances renders 
sleep more sound and refreshing. The second makes it an inevita- 
ble necessity. What admirable wisdom of Providence appears in the 
relaxation of the muscles during sleep ! The first which grows stiff 
is destined to defend one of the most precious of our organs; and 
one that is most exposed to danger, viz. the eye. As soon as we 
grow drowsy, the eyelid falls down of itself; covers and protects the 
eye tilLwe awake. In other parts of our body the muscles contract 
with more force ; because their being relaxed might be inconvenient, 
and even dangerous. 

Let, therefore, the hour in whicli w^e are disposed to enjoy the sweets 
of sleep, be preceded with thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father. Let 
us bless him, not only because the days happily succeed each other; 
but because he has constituted us in such a manner, that sleep re- 
freshes and recruits our strength. Let us lie down with these medi- 
tations ; and let them be the first which shall present themselves to 
us when we awake. 



AUGUST V. 

THE DIVISIBILITY OF MATTER. 

We may easily be convinced of the infinite divisibility of bodies, 
by the different perfumes which plants and flowers exhale. How 
amazingly small must the odoriferous corpuscles of a carnation be, 
which diffuse themselves over a whole garden, and meet the sense 
of smelling every where ! If this be not a satisfactory proof of this 
extreme divisibility, let us consider other objects which nature pre- 
sents us ; and, for instance, let us examine one of those silk threads, 
the work of a despicable worm. This thread, which is 360 feet in 
length, weighs only a grain. Consider again, into hovv many parts a 
length of 360 feet may be divided, without any of the parts becoming 
imperceptible. An inch can be divided into 600 equal parts, each of 
which will be as thick as a child's hair, and consequently may be ea- 
sily seen by the naked eye. Therefore a grain weight of this silk 
may be divided into at least 2,592.000 equal parts ; each of which 
may be seen without the assistance of a microscope. And as these 
same parts may be farther divided into many other millions of parts, 
a division which may be continued beyond the reach of thought ; it 
is manifest that this progression may be continued ad infimtum. The 
last panicles, which cannot be separated by human industry, must 
Btill have extension, and consequently be capable of division; al- 
though this cannot be realized in this world. 



364 AUGUST V. 



Divisibility of matter. 



If we examine the animal kingdom, we shall. have new proofs of 
the infinite divisibility of matter. A great naturalist put pepper into 
u glass of water, and by means of a microscope, discovered animal- 
culs8 a thousand million of times less than a grain of sand I How in- 
conceivably small then, must the feet, the organs of sense, the mus- 
cles, veins, and nerves of such an animal be! What must their eggs 
and their young be ! And how small must the members and vessels 
be, together with the juices which circulate in the veins of those 
young I Here imagination itself is lost, and all our ideas confounded ; 
and yet nothing is more certain than what we have already men- 
tioned. 

What deserves our attention especially is, that the more the works of 
nature are magnified by our glasses, the more regular and beautiful 
they appear. But it is the reverse with the works of art; for when 
these are examined with a microscope, we are astonished to find them 
rough, coarse and imperfect, though they have been executed with the 
greatest care, by the most eminent artists. 

Thus, God has impressed an image of his own infinity on the 
smallest atom. The smallest body is a world in which millions of 
parts are found united, and arranged in the most perfect order. How 
astonishing is that wisdom which can operate in the little as well as 
the great with so much regularity and perfection ! How great must 
that power be which could bring out of nothing that infinite number 
of bodies of all kinds ! Hov^'- rich must that Divine Goodness be which 
manifests itself in those minute bodies ; seeing there is none of them 
which has not its perfection and use ! 

Considerations like these are very proper, to make us feel the limits 
of our own understanding. The least worm, the smallest insect, the 
least grain of dust, may convince us that there are many thousands 
of things of which we are ignorant, and which we cannot explain. 
Try man, to enumerate the parts of which the body of an animal is 
composed, which is a thousand million of times less than a grain of 
sand I Endeavour to ascertain how minute one of those rays of light 
must be, several millions of which may pass through an opening not 
larger than the eye of a needle ! How speedily must thy ideas be 
confounded, and thou be obliged to acknowledge thy ignorance, and 
the limited state of thy understanding ! How then canst thou be proud 
of thy knowledge, and have the presumption to find fault with the 
ways of the Lord, and speak against the arrangements he has made 
in nature I Canst thou imagine, that thou canst even know the mil- 
lionth part of the beings which exist? — It is therefore our duty, yea 
more, our glory, to acknowledge our own ignorance, and the infinite 
grandeur of God. 

Such is the use we should make of these meditations. Let us re- 
flect on the infinite divisibility of bodies, only to feel more forcibly 
how great God is, and how little we are. This will give us room to 
admire the wisdom of the Creator : for by means of the infinite 
smallness of the particles of matter every void may be filled up wdth- 



AUGUST V. 365 



Divisibility of mattei*. 



out the least interruption of motion ; and the universe presents us with 
a spectacle continually varied. 



AUGUST VI. 

THE EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF INSECTS. 

In general v^'e judge those animals only worth our notice which are 
distinguished from others by their bulk. The horse, the elephant, the 
bull, and such like creatures, appear in some sort to merit our atten- 
tion ; while we disdain to cast a look on the innumerable hosts of 
small animals which people the air, the vegetables, and the dust. 
How many insects do we trample on ! how many caterpillars do we 
destroy! how many flies buzz about us without inspiring us with the 
least curiosity ! And we only think of means to destroy them when 
they are a little troublesome to us. Nothing can be more unreasona- 
ble than such inattention ; for, it is certain that the power and wisdom 
of our Creator are not less manifested in the structure of a snail, than 
in that of an elephant, a horse, or a lion. 

The bodies of the greater part of insects are composed of many 
rings, which close on each other; and are employed in all the mO" 
tions of the animal. The essential character which distinguishes in- 
sects from all other animals is that, properly speaking, they have no 
bones. Much wisdom is evident in this part of their formation. 
The motions which are adapted to all insects ; the manner in which 
the}' are obliged to seek their nourishment ; and especially the me- 
tamorphosis which they undergo ; could not be performed with so 
much ease, if, instead of those moveable rings, (which recede from, and 
approach to each other at the will of the animal) their bodies were 
connected and strengthened by bones. 

It is observable in several insects, that they have the power of 
contracting or enlarging their heads at pleasure ; that they can 
lengthen or shorten them ; hide, or cause them to appear, as their 
necessities may require. There are others, whose heads always re- 
tain the same form. The mouths of insects are generally provided 
with a sort of teeth, or with a trunk. This disposition of the head 
is necessary, not only because of the aliments on which they feed, 
but also because of the persecutions to which they are exposed. 

Many kinds of insects are without sight ; but they are compensa- 
ted for this by feeling, or some other sense. Insects have two sorts 
of eyes ; those which are smooth and bright are generally few in 
number : but the eyes which resemble net-work or shagreen, the 
cornea of which is cut in angles, are extrem.ely numerous. There 
are sometimes thousands of them. None of these is moveable ; but 
their number and position supply this defect. The antennas or 
horns, with which the greater part of insects are provided, are of 
great service to them in their manner of life. These horns being 



366 AUGUST VI. 



The external structure of insects. 



extended before the body in its march, and feeling out the way, not 
only inform the animal of the dangers which threaten it ; but also 
enable it to discern the aliments which are best suited to its nature. 

The legs of insects are either scaly, or membraneous. The 
former move by means of several joints ; and the others, which are 
more soft, move in all directions. 'Often the same animal has both 
kinds of legs. There are insects which have several hundreds of 
feet ; but these do not travel so fast as those which have only four. 
In respect to this part of the body there is an infinite variety among 
insects. With what art must the legs of those insects be constructed, 
which fasten on smooth and polished surfaces ! How elastic must the 
legs of those be which leap ! How strong those which dig in the 
ground ! 

Two or four wings are placed in the middle of their bodies. Some 
of these are as transparent as the finest gauze ; others are full of 
mealy scales. Some are without covering : others are hidden in cases 
or sheathes. At the sides, or at the extremity of the body, there are 
little orifices in the form of eyelids, which are termed stigmata, or 
prints ; these are the organs of respiratlln. 

The variety observable in the form and constitution of the limbs of 
insects, is prodigious : and the lives of many men would not suffice 
to describe the different figures of these little animals. How varied 
are the forms of those little insects which walk, fly, leap, and creep. 
Nevertheless, however diversified their forms may be, we may observe 
in them the same perfect harmony and proportion. Would it not be 
the height of extravagance or perverseness, not to acknowledge, in 
all this, the infinite wisdom of the Creator ? A man is no further either 
virtuous or rational, than he acknowledges and adores God in all 
things. Let us aquit ourselves henceforth in those duties : as often 
as we see an insect, let us study, as much as possible, its wonderful 
construction, that we may have a more lively sense of the greatness 
of the Most High. 



AUGUST VII. 

COMPARISON BETWEEN THE SENSES OF MEN AND THOSE OF ANIMALS. 

Have some animals more perfect senses than man ? We can only 
answer in the^rmative in some particular cases ; for in this respect 
also, we must say of man, that he is more highly favoured than all 
other animals. It is indeed asserted, that spiders have a finer feel- 
ing; that the vulture, the bee, and the ^o^, have a keener smell. We 
know that by means of this, the hound follows the track of the game : 
and that other dogs are taught to find trufle under ground. The swine- 
also, guided by his smell, digs with his muzzle for his food. Slags 
are supposed to have so quick a hearing, that they can discern the 
sound of bells at the distance of several miles : and that the mole 



AUGUST VII. 367 



Comparison between the senses of men and those of animals. 



hears better, under the earth, than man, who inhabits the surface, and 
lives in the open air. 

In regard to sight, the eagle, among birds, and the lynx, among qua- 
drupeds, are said far to exceed man. The observations are certainly- 
true ; but if we consider animals in general, and compare them with 
man, we are struck with the great prerogative given to him above all 
the brute creation. Man is naturally endowed with y2ire senses: and 
this advantage is not common to one half of the animals. The zoophiles, 
which form the collecting link between the animal and vegetable 
kingdom, have only the sense of feeling. Many animals have only 
two senses; some three; and those which have five, are considered 
the most perfect class. But even the most perfect animals have not 
senses more perfect than ours. There are certain senses among 
men which are astonishingly exquisite : some Indians can judge by 
their smell how much alloy is mixed- with the precious metals as well 
as w^ can by the touchstone. The inhabitants of the Antilles can dis- 
cern, by their smell, whether a Frenchman or a Black has last passed 
along the road. 

The perfection of the senses, in some savages, supplies the lack of 
intellect. Many people have exercised and improved certain senses 
to an astonishing degree. If man like the animals, had no help but 
his senses to procure food, and to preserve himself from danger; if 
reason were not a more sure and suitable guide to him ; his senses, 
without doubt, would have acquired the highest degree of refinement 
by exercise. But, in reality, man does not require senses more ex- 
quisite than those which he possesses. Reason compensates hini more 
than a hundred fold for the privileges which certain animals appear to 
have over him. Besides we may confidently assert, that if our sen- 
ses were more exquisite, many inconveniencies would result from it. 
Let us take, for instance, the sense of hearing; were this in us as 
quick as the safety of some animals requires it should be in them, the 
most distant noise, and the confused din of a mixture of sounds, would 
continually interrupt our Tneditations and repose, and disturb our 
noblest occupations. 

Thanks to the infinite wisdom of the Creator, who has so measured 
the degree of our sensations, that they are sufficient to enable us fully 
to enjoy the blessings of nature, without disturbing the noble occupa- 
tions of human reason. The limited state of our senses is a gain 
rather than a loss to us : a perfection rather than an imperfection. 
Happy he who allows his reason to govern his senses ; and who en- 
joys all the advantages which must result from a perfect harmony be- 
tween them ! 



368 AUGUST VIII. 



The thunder. 



AUGUST VIII. 

THE THUNDER. 

The thunder roars ! mortal who is it that causes this terrible 
noise ? Who is it that darts the lightning from the clouds ? Behold, 
O sinner, it is ihe Lord of the universe ; it is the arm of the Most 
High which hurls the thunderbolt. 

Nature reposes in his hand ; he preserves and blesses it ; but he 
shall speak, and at his word, the heavens and the earth shall be 
consumed by the flames : the heavens and the earth shall be no 
more ! 

The thunder roars ; how dreadful is the stormy sky ! the light- 
ning flashes ! The thunderbolt is shot ! O God, how great art thou, 
and how terrible thy power. 

The Lord, from the height of his throne, frowns upon us ; and 
by the glare of the lightning, we see the grave open under our 
feet. 

When the Lord sits upon the clouds, men and heroes tremble ; 
when he sharpens the sword of his anger, the universe turns pale. 

God thunders ; the sinner hears, and shudders ; scarcely dare he 
lift his eyes towards him, whose voice seems to threaten him with 
destruction. 

O Christian! The majesty of thy God can bring no terror into 
thy soul ; even when he sits on the stormy clouds, and darts forth his 
lightnings. 

When the loud sound of the thunder astonishes the wicked, and 
fills him with terror, thy God watches over thee, and shields thee 
from the lightning. 

And, though he should even take away thy life, all his judg- 
ments are right ; he is thy Master, and thou shouldst say unto him 
Lord, my soul quietly submits : whether 'I live or die, all my hope is 
in thee. 

The Sovereign of the thunder is the Friend of the Christian. 
What, though he should take me away suddenly from the land of the 
living, I know that his thoughts towards me are thoughts of grace : 
and he will cause me to draw salvation from the fountains of eternal 
happiness. 

He who, when the sky is serene, glorifies his God, may be 
calm and peaceable when the sinner flies at the sight of the dark 
clouds. 

But, where can the sinner fly ! Can he escape from the sight of 
the supreme God ! In vain does he attempt to hide himself; the light- 
ning pursues, and smites him in his dark retreat. 

Fly not, therefore, sinner ! Renounce thy illusion ; thou canst 
not hide thyself from the face of thy Creator, who follows thee every 
where ; and whose hand is every moment upon thee^ 



AUGUST VIII. 369 



The thunder. 



When the thunder roars, thou tremblest and smitest thy breast : 
but when the tempest ceases, thou returnest anew to thy sinful 
pleasures. 

Sinner, if thou wouldst obtain mercy, thank the Lord for his long- 
suffering towards thee : and- forget not the promises thou, didst make 
in the time of thy distress : think of this, and know that God will not 
be mocked. 

God is merciful : he spares the rebellious : but he ivill not spare 
for ever. Jehovah is just : and the Judge Supreme shall cite the 
criminal to his bar. What is the thunder that roars over our heads, 
in comparison of that solemn day in which we shall hear the whiz- 
zing sound of the tempest ? The elements themselves shall be dis- 
solved by the same fire ; and the earth, and all it contains, be burnt 
up ! — 



AUGUST VIII.^ 

THE HAMSTER. 

The hamster belongs to the miis genus, and bears the nearest re- 
semblance to that of the myoxus, or marmot. It agrees, however, 
with both in the construction of its habitation, its way of life, and its 
general properties. In Gmelin's New System of Nature, the ham- 
sters make the third general division called criceti : »and the animal 
which is the subject of this paper, is styled the mus cricetus Germi- 
nicus, or German hamster. The males are about te?i inches long, 
and the tail about three : but the females are scarcely more than one 
half of this size. The former weigh from 12 to 16 ounces each. 
Usually the head and back are of a reddish brown colour, the cheeks 
red, the sides paler, with three white spots ; the breast, upper part of 
the fore-legs, and belly, are black.- But the colour varies much : 
sometimes they are found entirely white, or yellow; and there is a 
species which is almost entirely black. But what is most worthy of 
our observation in this animal is, its feet, its teeth, mid. its cheek-pouches. 

The hamster uses its feet to run, dig, and climb with. They are 
short and strong, having four toes, and a claw instead of a fifth toe, on 
the fore feet ; and five toes on each hind-foot. Its teeth are sixtee?i 
in number : it has two incisors in each jaw ; and three grinders on 
each side. The grinders serve only to chew with ; but the fore- 
teeth, or incisors, serve not only to shell the corn, but also for wea- 
pons for its defence ; and to dig up the earth, where it is too hard for 
its claws alone. 

The cheek-pouches are two skinny bags, proceeding from the jav/, 
above the neck and shoulders, and afterward sloping a little towards 
the spine. They lie enclosed between the muscles and the outward 
skin. On the oatside, these pouches are membraneous, smooth, and 
shining : and in the inside, there are a great many glands which 

47 



370 AUGUST YllL^ 



The hamster. 



secrete a fluid, which serves to keep the parts flexible, and to resist 
any accidents which might be occasioned by the roughness of particu- 
lar seeds. The hamster uses these pouches to collect and carry home 
the corn: and they are so large as to contain an ou7ice and a half of 
corn at once : which, on his return to his den, the animal empties by 
stroking and squeezing them with his fore-feet, beginning behind, and 
pressing forwards towards the mouth. When a hamster is met with 
his cheek-pouches full of corn, he may be easily taken with the hand, 
without the risk of being bitten; for, while his pouches are full, 
he has not the free use of his jaws ; but if he be allowed a little 
time, he soon empties his pouches, as related above, and raising 
himself on his hind-legs, stands boldly on his defence, or darts on 
his enemy. 

This animal lives always in the corn-fields. Here it forms itself a 
subterraneous burrow, divided into several apartments, with two holes 
leading from the surface : one is perpendicular, at which it goes in, 
and comes out : and the other, where it lodges its excrem.ents, is 
oblique, that the wet may the more readily run oflf. One part of this 
subterraneous dwelling, divided into several apartments, is the store- 
house, where it lays up its winter provisions of corn, beans, peas, 
vetches, linseed, &c., but each species of grain is kept by itself, in a 
separate cell. The chambers, where themselves and young lodge, are 
lined with straw or grass. The old ones dig their chambers several 
feet deep ; but those of the young, scarcely ever exceed one foot in 
depth. In these holes the animal dwells alone, for it has a rooted 
enmity against all other creatures, and even against those of its own 
species, the females not excepted. When two hamsters encounter, 
one of them certainly falls ; and the weaker is devoured by the con- 
queror. 

The hamster lies by day in his den, still and quiet : and in the 
dusk of the evening he comes out, and runs about till midnight ; he 
then retires again into his hole, and continues quiet till about an hour 
before daybreak ; then he comes out once more, and runs about till 
sunrising. 

The hamster's manner of living is considerably diversified: like 
various other animals, he becomes torpid in winter, and continues in 
that state the greater part of the cold season. The male awakes 
about the middle of February, and the female in March. They do not 
leave their holes immediately on their recovery from this torpid 
state, but continue quiet till they have consumed the remains of their 
provisions, which amounts often to one-third of the whole : then, the 
former opening his hole in March, the latter in April, they come out, 
return to their former manner of life, and go about seeking herbs. 

It cannot be denied that the hamster is a very destructive crea- 
ture. Some years they are so numerous as to occasion a dearth by 
their immense consumption of corn. In one year 11,000 skins, in a 
second 54,000, and in a third 80,000, were brought to the Town- 
house of Gotha, to receive a reward for their destruction. The 



AUGUST VIII. 371 



The hamster. 



hamster lives a considerable time, and multiplies prodigiously. The 
female brings forth twice or thrice in the year, and her litter is never 
fewer than six : but oftener from 16 to 18. The growth of the young 
is very rapid : at fifteen days old they begin to dig the earth ; and in 
about three weeks they are capable of subsisting independently ot 
the dam. 

The hamster is preyed on by several animals ; but ihe ferret seems 
ordained to be its most inveterate enemy. It is not so strong as the 
hamster, but it is much more active and cunning ; and by these means 
it prevails over him. In summer and autumn he is the ferret's food. 
He pursues him even into his den, and kills him there : having thus 
gained the victory, he makes it his own habitation. From this he 
goes out a hamster-hunting, and having found, he seizes him so 
strongly, that he drags him away and preys upon him. 

Even this circumstance shows the wisdom of the Divine Providence. 
This animal is in hostility with all others, and yet the species is pre-^ 
served ! Every creature is an object of the care of Divine Providence, 
because necessary to the perfection of the whole. The hamster may 
be objected to, because destructive ; but were there not such crea-' 
tures, God would not cause the earth to bring forth so plentifully. For 
these he makes a provision in our fields, and they can consume nd 
more than he has provided for them. At times they may become a 
scourge; but when we balance our gains with our losses, we shall 
find, on the most scrupulous reckoning, that we have sustained nd 
damage : so that instead of blaming the Divine government, we shall 
have much reason to adore it. After all, what are the few pounds of 
corn which the hamster carries away from our fields, in comparison 
of the thousands of bushels which wc collect there ! 



AUGUST VIII.^ 

SUPERSTITIOUS OPINIONS RELATIVE TO THE DESIGN OF THE ANIMAL' 

KINGDOM. 

It is astonishing that persons should be still found, over whose 
minds superstition has so much influence as to represent the most ex- 
cellent and beneficent of beings as a tyrant ; and the gracious works 
of his hands as so many scourges to mankind. Yet examples of this 
kind have not been wanting in all ages, and even the present enlight- 
ened one is not a little disgraced by them. 

When mice, for instance, become very numerous in Norway, the 
inhabitants keep what they call a mouse-feast, which consists in put- 
ting on their best apparel ; and instead of engaging in any kind of 
work, they lie down and sleep I Again, when that species of insect 
called the grub-dragon, crawls about, the people spread their gar- 
ments in the way, and look upon it as a happy omen if this army of 



372 AUGUST ¥111.=^^ 



Superstitious opinions relative to the animal kingdom. 



grubs, which defile every thing by a glutinous matter which transpires 
from their bodies, should crawl over them. But should this crawling 
legion go round them, and leave the clothes untouched, it is consi- 
dered as a very bad omen indeed. 

When the well-known insect, the sphynx atropos, called death's 
head, from its having the exact resemblance of a human skull on its 
thorax, is seen flying about in great numbers in the evening, it is 
considered, in certain places where dark superstition still reigns, as 
foreboding a great m.ortality both among men and cattle. 

What a series of misfortunes has been predicted from the gall-nut^ 
which grows upon the leaves of the oak ; in which is always found a 
creature in the form of a grub, a spider, or o-Jl^/i Each of these in- 
sects has been made the prophet of some particular disaster. The 
gricb ^YocWims fa?nme ; the spider, contagious disorders ; and the ^3/, 
war ! Although these apparently different animals are but the same 
insect under different forms ! 

That ticking sound in walls, about beds, old furniture, &c., which, 
from its resemblance to the sound of a watch, is called the death-watch, 
is considered among- the vulo-ar a certain forerunner of death. 

AVhen we examine this ominous business more closely, we find the 
noise to proceed from the female of that insect called the ptinus pul- 
sator, which usually, in the night time, gives 7, 9, or 11 distinct strokes, 
with its head against the side of the hole in which it lodges, in order 
to attract the male ! 

In a fine summer morning, when walking out, we often perceive 
something resembling a Hack powder strewed upon the ground, on 
which, if v.'e attempt to tread, it appears to dance and skip about in 
all directions. The vulgar in certain places consider this black dust 
as no less than the effect of witchcraft ; and whenever they perceive 
it, run with all speed out of the way, and take the most. circuitous 
route, rather than attempt to pass through it, lest they should fall 
under the power of sorcery. But what is it that thus terrifies us and 
causes them to run ? Only that kind of insect adhering sometimes to 
plants, commonly called the earth-flea. 

These examples, the number of which might be greatly multiplied, 
are considered by superstitious people as means intended for their 
conversion. — But it is to be hoped that the above considerations will 
at least show them, that they have been long and often mistaken in 
their interpretation of natural things ; and have become their own tor- 
mentors by the false opinions which they have formed concerning 
them. The means of salvation, and the warnings to prepare for death, 
are sufficiently furnished by the unerring word of truth : — and the 
whole of the moral government of the world is continually regulated 
and ordered by a wise providence that can never be mistaken ; and 
in no case ever left to the fortuitous circumstance of a fly depositing 
its egg upon an oak leaf, or to the casual noise made by an insect in 
decayed wood. 



AUGUST VllU^ 373 



Superstitious opinioiis relative to the animal kingdom. 



From such circumstances as these we may see the necessity of en- 
larging our knowledge of nature, and of meditating more on the wis- 
dom and goodness of the Creator. The more these are considered, 
the more we shall be convinced that God has made all things for the 
manifestation of his perfections, and the comfort and happiness of 
man : and that all his works, both in heaven and in earth, though, in 
some cases, ihej may at first view appear evil to us, are, nevertheless, 
perfect and good in their respective kinds beyond the possibility of 
amendment. 



AUGUST IX. 

CONTEMPLATIONS ON A MEADOW. 

Ye gloomy and majestic woods, where the fir-tree rears its stately 
head ; where the tufted oaks spread their foliage ; and ye rivers, which 
roll your silver streams among the gray mountains ; it is not you which 
I mean this day to admire : but the verdant enamel of the meadows 
shall be the subject of my meditations. 

What beauties present themselves to my view ; and how diversified 
are they ! Thousands of vegetables, and millions of living creatures ! 
Some flutter from flower to flower; while others creep and crawl 
through the dark labyrinths of the tufted grass ; infinitely varied in 
their form and beauty ; all these insects find here both food and hap- 
piness. All inhabit this earth as we do ; and how despicable soever 
they may appear, each is perfect in its kind. 

How soft the murmur of the limpid stream v/hich flows through the 
watercress, the trefoil, and the clover, whose purple or blue flowers 
are agitated by the motion of its little waves. Both its banks are 
covered with thick grass, interspersed with flowers, which, bending 
over the brink, trace their image in the water. 

I now stoop down and look across that forest of waving herbs ; what 
a mild light the sun pours on the different shades of green ! Delicate 
plants interweave themselves with the grass, and thus mingle their 
tender foliage ; or else they rear their stately heads above those of their 
companions, and display the flowers which have no perfume : while 
the humble violet grows upon the dry banks, and diffuses the sweetest 
exhalations around. Thus, we see the useful and virtuous man in 
poverty ; while the ^reat and the rich, clothed in superb attire, con- 
sume in idleness the blessings of the earth. 

Winged insects pursue each other through the grass : sometimes 1 
lose sight of them in the verdure ; and sometimes I see a swarm dart 
up into the air, and sport in the rays of the sun. 

What is that variegated flower which waves near the brook ? Hov*^ 
lively and beautiful are its colours ! I draw near and smile at my mis- 
take, a butterjiy leaps off, and leaves the blade of grass on which it 
perched, and which bent under its weight. In another place, I per- 



374 AUGUST IX. 



Contemplations on a meadow. 



ceive an insect covered with a black cuirass, and adorned with bril- 
liant wings ; it comes buzzing to perch on a bluebell, probably, by 
the side of its companion. 

What other buzzing is that I hear ? Why do those flowers bend 
their heads so ? It is a swarm of young bees. They have lately 
flown from their distant home to disperse themselves over the gardens 
and meadows. Now they collect the sweet nectar of the flowers, 
which they will by and by convey to their cells. Among them an 
idle citizen is not to be found. They fly from flower to flower, seek- 
ing their booty, and hide their velvet heads in the calix of flowers ; 
or pierce, with labour, through those which are not yet opened. 

There, on a high stalk of clover, a butterfly is perched ; it shakes 
its variegated wings, and adjusts those brilliant feathers which com- 
pose its crest, and seems proud of its charms. Beautiful butterfly ! 
make the flower bend which serves thee for a throne, and contem- 
plate thy rich dress in the mirror of the waves. Thou wilt then re- 
semble a young beauty, admiring herself in the glass which reflects 
her charms. Her garments are less beautiful than thy wings : but 
she is as giddy and thoughtless as thou art. 

See this little worm running on the green turf; all the researches 
of luxury, all the art of man, cannot imitate the green sprinkled gold, 
which covers its wings, where all the colours of the rainbow sport. 

*' O how beautiful is nature ! Grass and flowers grow in abundance, 
the trees are covered with leaves : the gentle breeze salutes us ; the 
herds And pasture; the tender lambs bleat, skip about, and rejoice 
in their existence. 

" Thousands of green blades rise up in this meadow ; on each point 
hangs a drop of dew. How many primroses are here assembled ! 
How do their leaves tremble ! What harmony in the note of the 
nightingale from yonder hill! Every thing expresses joy. Every 
thing inspires it. It reigns in the valleys, and on the hills, on the 
trees, and in the thickets ! O how beautiful is nature !" 

Yes, nature is beautiful, even in its smallest productions. He who 
feels no delight at the sight of its charms, because he is a prey to 
tumultuous passions, pursues false blessings, and deprives himself of 
tlie purest pleasures. Happy he, whose innocent life glides away in 
the contemplation of the beauties of nature. The whole creation 
smiles upon him. Joy accompanies him whithersoever he goes, and 
under whatever shade he rests. Pleasure springs up for him in every 
fountain, exhales from every flower, and resounds from every grove. 
Happy he, who is delighted with those innocent joys I His mind is 
serene as the calm summer day. His affections are as gentle and 
pure as the perfume which the flowers diffuse around him. Happy 
he, who, in the beauties of nature, traces out the Creator ; and con- 
secrates himself wholly to his God ! 



AUGUST X. 375 



Mischief occasioned by animals. 



AUGUST X. 

MISCHIEF OCCASIONED BY ANIIVIALS. 

It is distressing to see so many productions of nature, and often 
these the most beautiful, exposed to the ravages of animals. Every 
summer, we may see much damage, especially in the vegetable king- 
dom, occasioned by the rapacity of different kinds of birds, insects, 
&c. How many trees are destroyed, and fruits consumed, by worms, 
May-bugs, and caterpillars ! Of how many things necessary to our 
subsistence, are we deprived by the insatiate sparrow, and the no less 
voracious raven ? How afflicting to see a whole field destroyed by 
rats or locusts ! — These, and similar complaints, are often made : and 
peopk fancy that certain animals exist only to torment mankind. 
There is some foundation for these complaints ; and experience proves, 
that there are animals which are injurious to men as well as to plants. 
It is more easy to exterminate wolves, lions, and other ferocious 
beasts, than to destro}'- insects, when their numerous troops cover a 
country. In Peru, a species of ant, called chako, is a terrible scouro-e 
to the inhabitants : even their lives would be in danger, if they did 
not use precautions to deliver themselves from these formidable in- 
sects. The devastations made on fruit-trees by caterpillars, and in 
fields by mice, is well known. 

But however real these inconveniencies may be, they do not au- 
thorize such bitter complaints as those we make :^-complaints in 
which self-love has too great a part. We are pleased to see that 
the creatures which injure us, destroy each other; and we think we 
may, without injustice, take away the lives of such animals, whether 
for food, or for any other purpose : but, we cannot bear that they 
should take any thing away from us : we expect that the^^ should con- 
tribute to our subsistence : and yet we will allow them nothing- i In 
reality, have we any more right over the life of a gnat, than itlias to 
a drop of our blood ? Besides, in complaining of the voracity of 
animals, we do not consider that this arrangement of nature is not so 
disadvantageous as it appears. To be convinced of this, let us consi- 
der the animal kingdom collectively. Such a species as appears nox- 
ious, is notwithstanding, of real use ; and it would be dangerous to 
endeavour to destroy it. Several years ago some inhabitants of the 
then English colonies in America, endeavoured to extirpate the whole 
race oi jays, because they imagined that these birds did much injury 
to the corn. But, in proportion as the number of jays decreased, 
people were astonished at the enormous ravages which a prodigious 
multitude of worms, caterpillars, and especially May-bugs, made in 
the fields. Speedily the persecution of the jays ceased ; and, as they 
multiplied, they put an end to the plague which was the consequence 
of their destruction. 

Some time ago, a project was formed in Sweden to destroy the 
crows : but it was observed, that these birds are not only fond of 



376 AUGUST X. 



Mischief occasioned by animals. 



seeds and plants, but thai they destroy those worms and caterpillars 
which consume the leaves, and cut the roots of vegetables. 

In North America, the sparrow was persecuted with the utmost 
fury ; and the consequence was, that the gnat multiplied so much in 
the marshy countries, that they w^ere obliged to leave whole tracts 
uncultivated. 

Pheasant-hunting is so considerable in the isle of Procida, that it 
caused the king of Naples to prohibit the use of cats to the inhabi- 
tants. At the end of a few years, it was found that the rats and mice 
multiplied to such a degree as to occasion great mischief: so his 
Neapolitan Majesty vi^as obliged to revoke the decree that prohibited 
the use of cats. 

And why should we be so selfish, as to envy those creatures, that 
small portion of our provisions which is necessary for their subsis- 
tence : can we consume all the productions of nature ? Have we 
any deficiency of the things necessary for our comfort and support, 
on the account that the birds, mice, and insects, assist us to consume 
the blessings which God has granted to us in such abundance ; and of 
which a part would be spoiled, if these creatures did not feed upon 
it? Instead of abandoning ourselves to unjust complaints, let us ra- 
ther in this acknowledge the wisdom of our Creator. All .is con- 
nected in the vast empire of nature : no creature in it is useless : 
none is formed without design : although the use of several may be 
unknown to us. Their existence itself is sufficient to convince us 
that they were created for the wisest purposes. Thus, the sight of 
the apparent destructions and disorders in nature should make us 
look up to God, who has created nothing in vain ; and who preserves 
nothing without reason ; and if he permit any thing to be destroyed, 
it is not without a wise design. Were we deeply convinced of these 
truths, all the works of God would excite us to glorify and bless him 



AUGUST XI. 

VARIETY OF COLOURS. 

When we consider how dull and gloomy the gardens and fields 
would be, and how confused all objects must appear, were there only 
one colour; we must acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of God, 
who, by making such a variety of tints, has designed to multiply and 
diversify our pleasures on earth. Had he not designed to place us 
in an agreeable habitation, why should he have adorned all its parts 
wdth such diversified and beautiful paintings ? The sky, and all those 
objects which are seen at a distance, are painted at full length. Splen- 
dour and magnificence are their characteristics. But lightness, deli- 
cacy and graces of miniature, are found in all those objects designed 
to be seen near ; such as foliage, birds, flowers, insects, &c. 



AUGUST XI. 377 



Variety of colours. 



But whence is this distinction of colours ? Each ray of light ap- 
pears to be simple ; but by refraction it is divided into several : and 
hence arise different hues. A glass filled with water, and exposed to 
the sun, reflects certain colours upon white paper- But angular 
glasses, called pris??is, well cut and polished, reflect more vivid co- 
lours. We may imitate the finest rainbow, and bring it close to us, if 
Ave hold a prism opposite the sun ; or if, through a small hole in a 
window of a close shut chamber, we receive a ray of light on a prism. 
According as the refraction of the ray is more or less strong, the co- 
lours will be more or less bright. The most refrangible ray is the 
violet, and consequently it is the weakest. After this comes the ifi- 
digo, then the blue, next the green, then the yelloiv, next the orange, 
and lastly the red ; which, of all the rays of light, has the least 
refrangibility. 

The nature of coloured bodies contributes to the variety of colours. 
The smallest particles of all bodies are transparent. Hence it is that they 
break, absorb, or reflect the rays sometimes in one way, and some- 
times in another, after the manner of prisms. Besides, what proves 
that colours are not inherent in bodies is, that the neck and feathers 
of a pigeon, or peacock, and even changing stuffs, such as taffetas, 
and other silk stuffs, change colour according to their different posi- 
tions. This may enable us to understand whence the diversity of 
colours proceed. The whole may be reduced to this ; the surfaces 
of all bodies are composed of extremely thin laminae, which, accord- 
ing to their thickness, reflect certain coloured ra^^s, while they admit 
or absorb others in their pores. Thus, when a body, whose surface 
is smooth, reflects, and throws back almost all the rays of light, it ap- 
pears lohite ; and when, on the contrary, it absorbs them, it is 
black. 

Let us here admire the wisdom and goodness of God ; if the rays 
were not divisible, and if they were not differently coloured, all 
would be uniform : and we could distinguish objects only by reason- 
ing, and by the circumstances of time or place. But how tedious 
and perplexing would it be, to be obliged, on all occasions, to have 
recourse to reasoning, in order to distinguish one thing from another? 
The whole of our life must then be employed rather in studying than 
in acting ; and we should be for ever in a state of uncertainty. Were 
there only one colour on the earth, our eyes would soon be fatigued 
with it ; and this constant uniformity would cause us more disgust 
than pleasure. But the different colours which God has produced 
serve to diffuse more beauty over the earth ; and to afford pleasures 
ever new to our eyes. This is a fresh proof that God is always employ- 
ed, not only to proATide for our necessities, but also for our gratifica- 
tion ; and that, in the formation of the world, he has studied not only 
the essential perfection of his works, but also to give them all those 
ornaments which might enhance their value. In the mixture and 
difterent shades of colours, utility and beauty are ever connected. 
As far as our sight can reach, we always discover new charms in the 

48 



378 AUGUST XL 



Variety of colours. 



fields, valleys, and mountains. All minister to our pleasures, and all 
should excite our gratitude to God. 



AUGUST XIL 

THE BUILDINGS OF THE BEAVER. 

If a man wlio had never heard of the industry of beavers, and their 
manner of building their houses, were shown some of their edifices, 
he would doubtless suppose them to be the work of several eminent 
architects. Every thing is wonderful in the labours of those amphi- 
bious animals. The regularity of the plan, the size, solidity, and 
admirable contrivance of the buildings, must fill every attentive ob- 
server with astonishment. The beavers choose a place to build on 
where they can have plenty of food ; and a river out of which they 
may form a lake to bathe in. They begin, first, by constructing a 
dike, or bank, which keeps the water level with the first floor of the 
building. This dike, or bank, is sometimes a prodigious work, from 
six to twelve feet thick at the foundation : it is made sloping, and 
diminishes insensibly till it is about two feet in breadth at the top. 
The materials of this dike are wood and clay. The beavers cut 
pieces of wood as thick as a man's arm, with astonishing facility. 
They fix one end of these in the earth very near to each other, and 
interweave them with other pieces, smaller and more pliant. But as 
the water may run through, and leave their watering place dry, they 
have recourse to clay, which they well know where to find, and with 
which they fill up all interstices, both within and without; so that 
the water cannot possibly pass through. In proportion as the water 
rises, they continue to raise their dike. 

Having finished their dike, they begin to work at their houses ; 
yjhich are round or oval buildings, divided into three stories, raised 
one above another. One of them is below the foundation of the 
dike, and generally full of water, the two others are above. They 
fix these little buildings in a very solid manner on the brink of their 
pond, and always by stories ; that if the water should rise, they may 
be able to lodge higher up. If they find a little island near their 
pond, they build their houses on it, which is then more solid ; and 
they are less incommoded with water, in which they cannot remain 
long at a time. If they do not find this convenience, with the assist- 
ance of their teeth they bury stakes in the earth, in order to sup- 
port their building against the winds and the water. At the bottom 
they make two doors, to go out into the water : one leads to their 
building-place, the other to the passage which leads to the place 
where they deposite every thing that might defile their upper apart- 
jments. They have a third door at the top, for fear of being taken 



AUGUST XII. 379 



Buildings of the beaver. 



when the ice blocks up the lower doors. Sometimes they build their 
houses entirely on dry ground ; and make ditches from five to six feet 
deep, to go down into the water. They use the same materials, and 
the same industry for their buildings as for their dikes : the walls are 
perpendicular, and are about two feet in thickness. They cut off, 
with their teeth, the ends of the sticks which project from the wall : 
then mixing clay with dry grass, they make a composition, with which 
they plaster the inside and outside of their building : in this work 
their tail serves instead of a trowel. The inside of the house is arch- 
ed ; and the size of it is regulated by the number of the inhabitants. 
Twelve feet long, by eight or ten broad, is a space sufficient for eight 
or ten beavers. If the number be greater, the building is enlarged in 
proportion. 

The instruments which the beavers make use of, are four strong and 
sharp teeth, the two fore feet, the toes of which are separated ; the 
two hind feet, the toes of which are connected with membranes ; and 
their tail, which is covered with scales, and resembles an oblong trow- 
el. With these few simple tools they outdo our masons and carpen- 
ters, with all their apparatus of trowels, squares, axes, saws, &c. — ■ 
With their teeth they cut the w^ood, with which they construct their 
buildings; and that which they provide for their food. They use 
their fore-feet to dig the ground, and to soften and knead the clay. 
Their tail serves in place of a hod, to carry the mortar, or clay, and 
afterward as a trowel to lay on and smooth the plaster. 

The works of beavers have the nearest resemblance to those of men : 
and if we were to judge by the first impression they make on us, we 
should imagine them to be the produce of reason and reflection. But, 
if we examine them more closely, we shall find that in all their archi- 
tecture, these animals act not by reflection, but according to innate 
instinct. If they were directed by reflection, they would build differ- 
ently now from what they did formerly, and would continually im- 
prove. But we see that they continually follow the method of their 
ancestors ; and never go out of the circle which nature has prescribed 
to them. Thus, the beavers of this present time build exactly in the 
same way that those did who lived before the deluge. 

But this should not prevent our admiration ; as, of all the animals 
which live in a social state, they come the nearest to the human 
race. We have only to see them, to be convinced that beasts are 
not simple machines ; and that a spiritual principle directs all their 
motions and actions. But what an infinite difference has God put 
between the faculties of animals ! How vastly superior is the instinct 
of the beaver to that of the sheep ! And what Divine wisdom is mani- 
fested in the gradations by which brutes insensibly approach to the 
human species ! May we profit by the discoveries we make of the 
dilTerent faculties of animals ; and use them to improve ourselves 
more in the knowledge and love of the Creator of all beings ! 



380 AUGUST XIII. 



The manner in which the human body is nourished. 



AUGUST XIII. 

THE MANNER IN WHICH THE NUTRITION OF THE HUMAN BODY IS 
EFFECTED. 

Our aliments are composed of two parts : that which is properly 
nutritive, and should continue in the body : and that which is not nu- 
tritive and should be expelled from it. In respect to both, it is neces- 
sary that the food we eat should be well ground, and its parts sepa- 
rated. This is begun in the mouth, by mastication, or chewing. The 
denies incisores, or fore teeth, cut and separate the pieces ; the denies 
canini, or side teeth, tear it ; and the denies molares, or double teeth, 
grind it small. The tongue and lips contribute also to this, by keep- 
ing the food under the teeth as long as it is necessary. Certain 
glands being compressed in the act of chewing, throw out the saliva^ 
which moistens the food, penetrates, and renders it easy to separate its 
parts, and contributes to the digestion. Hence the great necessity of 
properly chewing the food before it is taken into the stomach. 

The aliments thus ground small, moistened, mixed, and partly ela- 
borated, are taken into the yharynx, and pass through a canal, where 
there are glands which continually furnish a certain liquor which lu- 
bricates it, and renders the passage of the food more easy. If this hap- 
pen to be too dry, the sensation of thirst tells us that we should drink. 
The food follows thus the course of the cssophagus, till it descends into 
the stomach. This is provided with a glutinous liquor, and another 
juice still more active ; both of which bear the name of the gastric 
juice. These serve to ferment and concoct the aliments. When the 
stomach has been too long empty, this gastric juice irritates its ner- 
vous coats, and produces that sensation which we term hunger. The 
stomach is always in motion by the contraction of its fibres up and 
down, so that its cavity its strengthened, and the two extremities 
drawn towards the centre, so that the whole is equally contracted : 
the aliments then easily finding the passage through the pylorus, de- 
scend through it into the intestines. It might be supposed, from the 
contraction of the stomach m^entioned above, that they would be as 
liable to return through the ccsophagus, as to descend through the 
pylorus ; but this is prevented by a valve which closes the passage of 
the former. 

The intestinal canal is properly a continuation of the stomach. In 
this canal there is a constant motion, called the peristalic moiion ; by 
which the whole alimentary mass is agitated above, below, and on all 
sides. The aliments, by the preceding operations, are reduced to a 
kind of soft paste, which continues long enough in the intestines, and 
advances slowly by means of their vermicular motion. This paste is af- 
terward mixed with the bile, which is separated by the liver, and serves 
to secrete the chyle, and dissolve the aliments. In all the intestines, 
the orifices of certain extremely fine vessels are discovered,, which 



AUGUST XIII. 381 



The manner in which the human body is nourishea. 

are termed the lacte'als. The whitest and purest part of the alimen- 
tary mass passes through these vessels, which pour it into one much 
larger ; by which it ascends above the breast and is thrown into the 
veins. It then loses its white colour, and by its mixture with the 
blood and other juices, becomes red. The nutritious juice prepared 
and perfected thus in the veins and glands, is conducted, by a multi- 
tude of canals, into the different parts, where it is necessary for the 
nutrition and preservation of the body. As to the gross and innutri- 
tious part, which is found in the large intestines, it passes from the 
coscum mio the rectum, and accumulates in this latter intestine, till, at 
a proper time, it is expelled by the action of the organs. 

Behold what a variety of operations are requisite to accomplish 
one of the necessities of the body ! How many parts and organs 
must concur and labour, in order to provide the necessary nourish- 
ment and growth for the whole ; it is by the intimate relation and 
connexion which subsists between the external parts of our bodies, 
that the digestion of the food, and secretion of so many different 
juices, must be effected. What is most admirable is, that all the parts 
of our bodies which are thus exercised to effect its nutrition, serve 
also for other purposes. The tongue, for instance, contributes to 
mastication : but it is also the organ of speech and taste. In a word, 
there is not one member of our bodies which has only one office. 
And this is certainly a striking proof of the infinite wisdom of the 
Creator. Let us think of these things at our meals ; and endeavour 
to make them, in some sort, the subject of our conversation. This 
will afford us a rich fund of useful matter ; and by acting thus, we 
shall follow the sage advice of the apostle. Whether ye eat or drink 
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 



AUGUST XIV. 

NATURE CONSIDERED IN DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW. 

The works of nature, so superior to those of art, are particularly so 
in this, that their admirable tariety always furnishes new subjects of 
astonishment and pleasure. We look once or twice at a work of art, 
and suppose we do return to it oftener, we at last grow tired, and 
either look no more at it, or see it with a certain degree of indiffe- 
rence. But, when we attentively examine and reflect on the works 
of nature, our mind is never fatigued : we ever find new charms in 
them, and could continue the contemplation for ever. 

If we consider nature in its most majestic and sublime point of view, 
with.vvhat astonishment are we struck in viewing the immensity of 
the heavens, the innumerable multitude of the stars, and the immense 
extent of the sea I Compared with these, all the works of art how- 
ever great and excellent they may be, are insignificant, and of no 



382 AUGUST XIV. 



Nature considered in one point of view. 



value. All that God has made, and all he does/ is stamped with a 
grandeur that surpasses all our ideas and conceptions. To give us 
an idea of his infinity, he had only to form the sky. This shows 
the magnificence and grandeur of the Creator better than all the earth 
contains. Is there any thing more proper to inspire us with profound 
veneration for God than to conteinplate him in these immense works ? 
With what ecstacy and religious fear should we feel ourselves pene- 
trated when we view those great phenomena of nature, which no 
creature could produce, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, storms, and 
tempests ! These grand scenes of nature are sometimes exhibited 
before us ; and there is none of them which ought not to make us 
feel the excellence and majesty of the Creator of the heavens and the 
earth. 

Nature presents itself also in a pleasiiig point of view : we see 
valleys adorned with verdure, and beautiful flowers ; fields which 
promise plentiful crops ; mountains covered with trees, vines, and all 
sorts of simples and medicinal plants. In all these smiling scenes, 
God shows himself the friend and benefactor of men : he opens his 
liberal hand, and satisfies every thing with his bounty. This is the 
seasan when every thing furnishes the most convincing proofs of his 
goodness : at present every thing conjoins to delight and flatter our 
senses, to please and to nourish us. 

But the time will soon come in which nature will show itself nnder 
a sad and gloomy form. It will speedily lose a part of its beauty and 
variety : and resemble a desert, which promises neither riches nor 
pleasure. Each day brings us nearer to this gloomy season ; and the 
insensible decrease in the length of the days begins already to inform 
us, that we must soon confine ourselves ta our apartments. But, even 
under this form, nature has her attractions ; for winter also concurs 
to the perfection of the world ; and without it we should be deprived 
of the pleasures which spring and summer afford. 

Let us apply these reflections to our life. It also is subject to va- 
riations, and is continually assuming new forms. To the most beau- 
tiful and flattering scenes, the most melancholy and distressing often 
succeed. In prosperity, let us prepare for adversity; and glorify 
our God in every situation in life. 



AUGUST XV, 

DAMAGES WHICH MAY BE OCCASIONED BY RAIN. 

Moderate rain always contributes to the growth and fruitfulness 
of plants : and consequently is a great blessing to the earth. . But 
in many respects, it may become injurious to vegetables : first, when 
it falls too vehemently : and secondly, when it continues too long. 
When it is too violent, it buries the small delicate plants in the earth : 



AUGUST XV. 383 



Damages which may be occasioned by rain. 



and when too long, it prevents their growth. A superabundant mois- 
ture deprives them of the necessary heat ; the circulation of the sap 
is interrupted ; the secretions are not properly performed ; and the 
plants droop, and are in danger of perishing. 

But this is not the only way in which the rain may become inju- 
rious ; although it is the most common. Sometimes it makes terrible 
havoc. When many clouds, driven by impetuous winds, meet with 
towers, mountains, and other high places in their way, they burst, 
and suddenly pour out the water with which they were laden. This 
must occasion great devastation : for as water is not very compressi- 
ble, it must, when pressed down, run suddenly out ; and fall with the 
greatest violence from mountains and other heights. Therefore, it 
is not astonishing if it drag along great stones, beat down trees, and 
overthrow buildings. Two causes concur to render these eifects 
more violent : on one hand, the great quantity of water which is 
precipitated : and, on the other, its velocity, augmented by the height 
from which it falls : the action of a movmg body being always in pro- 
portion to the quantity of matter in the body, and the degree of velo- 
city impressed on it. 

Waterspouts are still more formidable : their figure is that of an 
inverted cone : the base terminates in some cloud, their point is 
turned towards the earth. These waterspouts attract and draw up 
every thing they meet with in their way ; which is afterward dashed 
down in the fall of the water. If the point of this pyramid reach 
the sea, the water boils, froths, and ascends with a terrible noise. 
But if it falls on ships or buildings, it shatters and throws down the 
latter ; and it shakes the former so violently, that they often founder. 
According to all appearance, this meteor is formed by the action of 
winds which blow in contrary directions ; and which, mee-ting with 
many clouds in their passage, drive them with violence against each 
other. When these opposite winds strike a cloud sideways, they ne- 
cessarily give it a circular motion, and cause it to turn with rapidity : 
and in this circular motion, they take the form of a whirlwind ; and 
their weight being suddenly increased by the force of pressure, they 
fall with impetuosity, and in their fall assume the figure of a column, 
sometimes conic, sometimes cylindrical, which turns round its centre 
with great rapidity. Their violence is in proportion to the quantity 
of water w^hich falls at once, and to the velocity of the fall. 

Cataracts and waterspouts are always dangerous. Fortunately the 
latter seldom take place at land ; but they are frequent at sea. As 
to cataracts, the mountainous countries are more exposed to them 
than those which are flat and level : and they happen so seldom, that 
many years escape before an acre of land is destroyed by them. 
However this may be, it is very unjust, when these disasters happen, 
to murmur against God, and abandon ourselves to complaining and 
distrust. Many people are grievously afflicted by these events ; they 
view them on the darkest side, and their imagination magnifies and 
multiplies the object. When a little corner of the earth, which is 



384 AUGUST XV. 



Damages which may be occasioned by raiii. 



but a point in comparison of the globe, has been ravaged by a water- 
spout, or any other accident, we complain, as if all nature were in 
danger of perishing : and, absorbed with these local and transitory 
disasters, we forget the innumerable blessings which God diffuses over 
the earth ; and which vastly exceed these judgments, which very rarely 
occur. If we were just, we should be more affected with the order 
and universal happiness which result from the present arrangement 
of nature, than with those partial disorders which spring out of the 
ordinary course of things ; and which should be considered only as 
exceptions to a general rule. Would it not be equally unjust and 
ungrateful to pay attention only to the earthquakes, tempests, and 
inundations, which happen upon an average but once in many years ; 
while we forget so many daily blessings, and innumerable benefits, 
resulting from the constant and regular return of the seasons ? Do 
we not sin against God, when we calculate ^he damage which some 
transient accidents occasion; and take no account of the vast advan- 
tage which we daily enjoy through the present arrangement of na- 
ture ? Let us never more render ourselves culpable of such base 
and criminal ingratitude. Let us rather consider the works of God 
with humility and admiration : and endeavour to form just and suita- 
ble ideas of them. For, doubtless, there are infinite wisdom, order, 
and goodness, even in those things where we can scarcely see any 
traces of them ; but which will unfold themselves to us more and 
more, if we endeavour to study nature with an attentive and religious 
mind. 



AUGUST XVI. 

THE CARE OF ANIMALS FOR THEIR YOUNG. 

The most remarkable instinct with which God has endued the 
minds of brutes, is, doubtless, that which they manifest in the preser- 
vation of their young. Few animals abandon their eggs, or young, to 
chance. Their self-love, on the contrary, extends to their posterity ; 
and that in the most solicitous manner, and in a way the most suitable 
to their different species and modes of life. Some af those little 
creatures which come out of the eggs of fish and insects, have no 
need of being hatched by the parent, as the heat of the summer is suffi- 
cient to animate and strengthen them ; and they are capable of pro- 
viding for themselves from the moment of their birth, supposing they 
are in a suitable place, and have food within their reach. The 
greater part of insects do not live long enough to see their posterity. 
Fish and amphibious animals cannot distinguish their own young from 
others of the same kind. Nevertheless, nature inspires them with a 
knowledge of the best means to provide for the principal wants of 
new generations. Fish come in shoals to deposite their eggs near 
the coasts ; where the water, being shallow, is easily warmed by the 



AUGUST XVI. 385 



Care of animals for their young. 



heat of the sun ; where they may be more easily hatched, and after- 
ward find requisite food. 

Annphibious animals come out of the water, and lay their eggs in 
the sand, that they may be hatched by the heat of the sun ; as they 
know that their young will readily find their true element ; and the 
place where they are destined to live and seek their food. Gnats, and 
other insects which are born in the water, but live in the air, or on the 
earth, never fail to lay their eggs where the life of their young should 
commence. Insects which fly upon the earth, and which in general 
require no food for themselves, still take care to deposite their eggs 
on plants, fruit, flesh, and other substances which are proper to nour- 
ish their young. There are some which pursue other animals, that 
they may lay their eggs in their skin, hair, mouth, and entrails. Some 
animals deposite their eggs in nests, or cells, which they have prepa- 
red, and into which they have carried beforehand suitable provision 
for the nourishment of their young. 

Other animals, which cannot provide for themselves as soon as they 
are born, are entrusted to the care of their parents. How great is the 
solicitude of birds, even before they lay their eggs ! Every species has 
its peculiar mode of constructing its nest. With what patience and 
constancy they sit on their eggs for several weeks, scarcely taking 
time to eat their food I What care do they take to warm their young 
when they are hatched, and to provide suitable food for them ! What 
courage do they show in defending them, and securing them at the 
hazard of their own life ! Is it not also a very singular instinct in 
quadrupeds, to cut with their teeth the umbilical cord of their young; 
and to do it also with the necessary precautions, that they may not 
lose too much blood ! With what tenderness and attention do they 
suckle them, give them warning of danger, and protect them from 
it ! 

In general, the instinct of animals for the preservation of their 
young, is stronger than the desire of satisfying their own wants. 
They suffer hunger and thirst ; they refuse sleep and all convenien- 
cies, and even hazard their own lives, rather than neglect their little 
ones. In this instinct, which God has given to animals, we may see 
such wisdom as we can never sufficiently admire : for the preserva- 
tion of every species depends on the care which the parents take in 
hatching and providing for their j^oung. We need not be surprised 
that viviparous animals should feel affection for their young : — they 
are their own flesh and blood : but, that those which are oviparous 
should feel such solicitude for their eggs, is absolutely inexplicable. 
The eggs have a widely different figure from the parents; and in no 
respect resemble an animal. Besides, the eggs are not visible when 
the birds begin to build their nests, and when the insects seek places 
w^here the new generation may find subsistence. 

Adorable Creator of all that exists ! Who would not in this admire 
thy wisdom ! Who would not acknowledge that goodness with which 
thou watchest over the preservation and propagation of the animal 

49 



386 AUGUST XVi, 



Care of animals for their young. 



kingdom, that they may mmister to our wants, and to our pleasure. 
Open our eyes, that we may acknowledge more and more the wisdom 
which shines through all thy works ! 



AUGUST XVII. 

VARIOUS KINDS OF EXTRAORDINARY RAIN. 

Every phenomenon, how natural and useful it may be, is often a 
cause of terror and dismay to ignorant and superstitious men. We 
see a proof of this in the rains, which superstition considers as super- 
natural, and which terrify so many people. 

Who does not tremble when he hears of a shower ofhlood? Some- 
times, and particularly in summer, there falls a reddish rain, to which 
this name has been given : or rather, it is supposed that such a rain 
has fallen, when, after a shower, we find drops tinged with a red co- 
lour in the fields. Many believe that such a rain has fallen from the 
sky, and that it is properly blood. When this is considered, it is no 
wonder that such rain should be attributed to supernatural causes. 
There is nothing in it, however, but what is very natural. For the 
atmosphere being laden with different substances, and with a multi- 
tude of foreign matter, we need not be surprised that the rain some- 
times partakes of this mixture ; and that its natural colour and qualities 
are changed. It may very easily happen that coloured particles may 
fall with the ram. The wind may raise up, and disperse far and wide 
the coloured stamina of different flowers, and even the red excrement 
of certain butterflies. There are also little red insects on the face of 
the water, which credulous people may take for blood. Sometimes 
also a certain viscous humour, produced by fatty, reddish particles 
which float in the air, falls with the rain, as happened in Westphalia^ 
and other places, in the year 1764. But so far from there being any 
thing marvellous in this, we may rather, on the contrary, be asto- 
nished that these phenomena do not happen more frequently. 

It is the same with those showers of sulphur, which are said to fall 
often. This rain is not properly sulphur; although it is possible that 
the atmosphere, being filled with sulphureous particles, some may be 
detached with the drops of rain. But it has been proved, by a num- 
ber of experiments, that those showers are no other than the flowers, 
or coloured seeds of some plants, or fine sand, or yellowish dust, 
which the wind raises in some countries, and mingles with the rain. 
The supposed showers of wheat are produced in the same way. 
When heavy rain falls in those parts where much celandine grows, it 
lays bare the roots, which are very slender ; the little bulbs which 
adhere to them are separated and scattered about, and these are 
taken for wheat fallen from above : and superstitious people believe 
this to be a presage of dearth and famine. 



AUGUST XVII. 387 



Various kinds of extraordinaiy rain. 



But whence come aJl those cateryillars y\'\i\i which the gardens and 
fields are sometimes strewed, when a shower of rain has fallen ? 
Nothing can be more natural than this. As the atmosphere contains 
a multitude of bodies of e-^'ery kind, it is very likely that both insects 
and their eggs may be found there. The latter only require a place 
to be hatched in, consequently when they are brought down with the 
rain, they stick to the leaves, and then come to life. That this 
is possible the following fact proves, related by writers of the utmost 
probity. The rains which fall in Philadelphia during the month of 
August, bring with them insects, which, when they stick to the human 
skin and are not immediately taken off, bite and produce great itching. 
And when these little animals happen to fall upon woollen cloth, they 
stick in it and multipl}^ like moths. 

We are under very great obligations to those naturalists w^ho, by 
their researches and experiments, have exposed and rooted up so many 
superstitious opinions and prejudices. It must however be confessed, 
that the common people are full of them still ; and this proves, that 
men have in general a greater propensity to error than to truthj and 
that they are not convinced, as they should be, of the Avisdom and 
goodness of the Divine government. Let us not dishonour both 
our God and our reason, by these, or similar prejudices. Let the con- 
viction, that every thing is well ordered in nature, and that God pro- 
poses infinitely wise ends, be a source of joy and consolation to us. 
Let us leave superstitious ideas to pagans and infidels : but let us, 
who have the happiness of knowing the true God, glorify him by our 
feith : honour him by confiding in his goodness , and labour more to 
diffuse reason, wisdom, and piety among men. 



AUGUST XVIIL 

SENSIBILITY OF PLANTS* 

We may observe certain motions in plants, which make it doubtful 
whether they have sensibilitij or "Ot. There are vegetables which 
draw back and contract their leaves w^hen touched. We see some 
which open and shut the-^'i' flowers at certain fixed hours of the day ; 
so that these plants siiow the hour of the day with great exactness. 
Others assume a -^-ery singular form during the night; as they then 
fold up their leaves : and these motions take place whether they are 
in the opei2 air, or in close apartments. Those which always live 
under the water, raise their leaves above it in the time of fecunda- 
tion. The motions of a marshy plant, which was discovered some 
time ago in the province of Carolina, are still more singular. Its 
round leaves are garnished above and on the edges, with a multitude 
of notches, which are extremely irritable. When an insect chances 
to creep on the upper surface of the leaf, it folds up, contracts, and 
shuts up the insect till it dies. Then the leaf opens of itself. We 



388 AUGUST XVIII. 



Sensibility of plants. 



may daily observe certain regular movements in some garden plants. 
Tvlips expand when the weather is fair ; but they shut up in the time 
of rain, and after sunset. Vegetables with husks, such as peas and 
heaois^ open their shells when dry, and curl up like shavings of wood. 
Wild oats, when put on a table, will move of themselves, especially 
if they have been warmed in the hand. And do we not observe that 
the heliotro'pe, or sun flower, and various other plants, always turn 
themselves towards the sun? 

These are incontestible facts, of the reality of which any person 
may be readily satisfied. From these some conclude that we cannot 
d^ny sensihilitij to plants : and it is true, that the above cited facts 
give some probability to this opinion. But, on the other hand, we do 
not discover any other mark of sensibility in plants. All in them 
appears to be absolutely mechanical. 

We plant a shrub, and destroy it without observing any analogy 
between it and an animal. We see a plant bud, blossom, bear seed, 
as we see the hand of a watch run insensibly around all the points of 
the dial. The most exact anatomy of a plant can show us no organ 
which has the least relation to the organs of animal sensibility. When 
we oppose these observations to those whence some have inferred the 
sensibility of plants, we remain in uncertainty, and know not how to 
explain the phenomena related above. Perhaps all we observe rela- 
tive to the motions of plants, proceeds only from the structure of dif- 
ferent fibres, which sometimes contract, and sometimes expand. Per- 
haps the subtile exhalations of our bodies cause sensitive plants to con- 
tract when we touch them. But it is probable also, that as there are 
innumerable gradations in nature, there are certain plants which pos- 
sess the lowest degree of sensibility, and which serve for the connect- 
ing link between the animal and vegetable kingdons ; as there is, in 
fact, but a s^ort passage between the sensitive ylant and the muscle : 
thus sensibility may be given to plants, at least, to those which approach 
nearest to the animal kingdom. 

We see then that our knowledge of this subject is very imperfect ; 
and is almost reduced to mere conjecture. We can neit'her attribute 
sensibility to plants, nor deny it wkb certainty. On this subject we 
must rest contented with conjectiire ; and not seek to pass the bounds 
presented to our knowledge. Let us rendei to the Creator the glory 
due to his name : and let us be persuaded that xvhatever may become 
of the question, and whatever the principle of the before-mentioned 
phenomena may be, the arrangements which He has ir.ade in these, 
and all other respects, have been dictated by unlimited wisdom and 
goodness. We may very well dispense with the want of more exten- 
sive knowledge on this part of the vegetable kingdom: and though 
this point should ever rest problematical and obscure to us, yet what 
we know on the subject is sufficient to satisfy a reasonable curiosity, 
and excite us to glorify God. Let us, therefore, endeavour to make 
proper use of the knowledge we have, without losing ourselves in 
speculations m.ore curious than useful ; and without aiming at that 



AUGUST XVIII. 389 



Sensibility of plants. 



measure of knowledge which is reserved for those who shall succeed 
us, or perhaps for eternity. 



AUGUST XIX. 

THE FEAR OF STORMS. 

At the season in which nature presents to our view only pleasing 
and delightful scenes, well calculated to inspire joy and happiness; 
there are still some persons found who spend their time in complaints 
and murmuring. The summer would, without doubt, be delightful, 
say they, were it not for those storms which disturb it, and stifle 
every sentiment of joy in our souls. The fear of storms and thunder 
are principally founded on the opinion, that they are the effects of 
God's wrath, and ministers of his vengeance. For if, on the con- 
trary, we considered how much storms contribute to purify the air 
from a multitude of noxious vapours, and to fertilize the earth; if we 
would take proper precautions against the effects of lightning, storms 
would cease to appear formidable ; and sensible people would con- 
sider them as blessings more proper to inspire us with gratitude than 
terror. 

But it may be said, thunder has often made great havoc. How 
often has lightning strack both men and beasts, and consumed whole 
villages and towns ! This is all true : but in this as in many other 
cases, a terrified imagination greatly magnifies both the evil and the 
danger. To show how little likelihood there is of being killed by 
lightning, let it be observed, that among 750,000 persons who died in 
London, in the space of thirty years, two only were killed by light- 
ning. Let us observe also that during the greatest claps of thunder, 
many persons prolong their fear without the least reason. He w^ho 
has time to be terrified, and to fear the natural effects of lightning, is 
already entirely out of the reach of danger. It is only the lightning 
that can be fatal to us. When we have seen it, without being hurt, 
and the thunder does not immediately accompany it, it is doubly fool- 
ish to wax pale and tremble at the sound of the clap, or shut our ears 
for fear of a sound which cannot possibly be dangerous. What should 
shorten our fears, or entirely prevent them, is the consideration, that 
after the lightning, we may wait for the thunder in the utmost safety, 
as it is certain it will do us no more hurt than the distant report of a 
cannon. Indeed the thunder tells us, we have escaped the danger of 
the lightning, and informs us how distant it is ; for the greater the in- 
terval is betw^een the flash of lightning and the peal of thunder, the 
greater the distance from the seat of the storm. 

The surest means of guarding against the fear of thunder, and other 
terrible phenomena of nature, is, to endeavour to have a good con- 
science. The righteous man, calm and composed, fears not the 
judgments of heaven. He knows, that at the command of God, all 



390 AUGUST XIX. 



Fear of storms. 



nature is armed against sinners. But when even the Supreme Judge 
terrifies and smites the obstinate, the good man knows that he is ever 
under the protection of the Almighty. " He hears the thunder roar, 
but he is not terrified. His Creator, the God whom he loves, is the 
Ruler of the lightning. He knows when only to terrify and when to 
strike. He sports with storms and tempests, and makes use of them 
to convince the infidel of his existence, who dared to doubt it : and to 
bring terror into the hearts of the wicked. The friends of God need 
not tremble : it is their privilege and glory to be able to trust in him, 
even when his thunder roars. The time shall come when, elevated 
above the regioas of storm, they shall w^alk upon the clouds by the 
splendour of his lightnings." Then shall they see the thunder itself 
is a blessing from the Lord ; that he makes use of it to purify the at- 
mosphere and they shall praise this Supreme Being, who, by an 
apparatus the most formidable, condescends to provide for the necessi- 
ties of the earth. With one hand he holds the thunder, and with the 
other he waters our fields ; and thus at once shows himself both our 
Father and our Judge. 



AUGUST XX, 

SUMMER EXHIBITS EMBLEMS OF DEATH. 

When we walked a few weeks ago in our gardens, we were sur- 
rounded by beautiful and pleasing objects ; and every thing inspired 
serene delight. But at present the prospect becomes less agreeable 
daily or at least more uniform. The greater part of the flowers which 
adorned the gardens have disappeared, and we see only their weak 
remains, which just serve to recall to our minds the charming scene 
which we enjoyed a few months ago. These revolutions in nature 
are very instructive. There is a time of life in which we have all the 
charms of spring ; we are then admired and loved ; and the most ex- 
cellent fruit is expected from us. But how often is this expectation 
disappointed ! The blossoms fall off before they had been well ex- 
panded : sickness robs us of cur charms ; and a premature death blasts 
all our expectations. 

We observe the spring flowers, which last, till summer wither then in 
a few hours. A striking emblem of death ! Scarcely a day passes, in 
which we do not hear of persons snatched away by sudden death 
when they least expect it : — but God has an infinity of means to put 
an end to our lives. It is true, that habit renders us almost indifier- 
ent about the deaths of so many of our fellow citizens, who are sud- 
denly cut down : and it is not less true, that the days of man are as 
the grass : he flourisheth as a flower of the field ; but the wind 
bloweth upon him and he is gone, and the place that knew him, 
knows him no more. 



AUGUST XX. 391 



Summer exhibits emblems of death. 



We have now reached that season in which we endeavour to screen 
ourselves from the scorching heat of the sun ; and seek the cool 
shade of the grove. But are not these retreats well calculated to 
make us reflect on the silence and darkness of the tomb ? There we 
shall find rest, after having borne all the fatigue and heat of the day 
of life. 

The mower prepares to cut down his corn. The scythe brings 
down the stalks on the right-hand and left, and leaves the fields 
empty and desert behind it. This should remind us of our own lot. 
All flesh is as grass ; and the glory and duration of human life as the 
flower of the field. Man flourishes awhile, and is then cut down, 
when the Lord of the harvest has given his command. 

Even the bees teach this truth. When we reflect on the activity 
and industry with which they collect and prepare their honey, we 
should learn to lay up treasures of wisdom and goodness betimes, 
w^hich may be a comfort to us in our old age, and at the hour of our 
death. 

In a little time the husbandmen will unite to collect the fruits of 
the earth; and deposite them in their granaries. These days of har- 
vest are the most solemn, and the most important of all the days in 
the year. But, O my God how solemn will that great day be, when 
the Creator himself shall collect the harvest ! When all the dead 
shall rise out of their graves ; when the Supreme Judge shall say to 
the angels, " gather the tares into bundles to be burnt ; but gather 
the wheat into m}'- garner." With what joy may the righteous medi' 
tate on this day of harvest ! Here, he goelh forth weeping, bearing 
precious seed, but he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
bringing- his sheaves with him. 

These are not the only emblems of death which nature furnishes : 
but they are the most striking. Every person who considers them 
should look upon them as pictures of the shortness and frailty 
of human life : and we need not be afraid of having that comfort 
which is so natural to us in summer, lessened by such reflections as 
these. Meditations on death are the best means of farther embel- 
lishing this happy season ; and of rendering it still more agreeable. 
When we contemplate death in its true light, far from considering it 
as the enemy of our pleasure, we shall acknowledge that the idea of 
death ennobles and increases our happiness. Would we run into 
imprudent excesses in those summer days, if the thought of death 
were present to our minds ? Would we abuse the gifts which God 
grants, if we remembered that the hour must come in which we 
shall give an account of our stewardship ? Would the blessings of 
this life corrupt or captivate our hearts, if we often considered that 
the fashion of this w^orld passeth away ? Would the burden which 
we have to carry during the heat of the day, and the sufferings 
to which we are exposed excite murmurs, if we considered that 
the evening would come and bring us refreshment and rest ? Would 
we imagine that our chief good consisted in the enjoyment of this 



Q92 AUGUST XX. 



Summer exhibits emblems of death. 



world and its pleasures, if we accustomed ourselves to think that 
a better world, and more dignified pleasures, might one day be our 
happy lot ? 



AUGUST XXL 

CAUSES OF THE HEAT OF THE EARTH. 

The sun is, without doubt, the principal cause of the heat of our 
globe : and the warmth of a particular place is owing to its relative 
position to the sun. When he is on the southern side of the earth, 
the inhabitants of the north have not such warm days as when he ap- 
proaches the north pole. The same takes place in the southern 
parts of the earth, when the sun is turned towards the north. In 
those countries where the sun is nearly vertical, the cold is never so 
great as to freeze the rivers and lakes ; on the contrary, the heat 
is always great in those regions. It becomes excessive, when the 
sun remains a long time above the horizon; so that his rays fall for a 
considerable time upon the same place. Hence it is, that towards the 
poles, where the days are very long, the heat is sometimes intense in 
certain countries. When all this is considered, we must conclude 
that the sun, and its relative position toward the earth, is a chief 
cause of the heat in open air. 

But, this is not the sole cause ; if it were, all winters would be 
equally cold : and the temperature must be always exactly the same 
in countries situated under the same climate. But, neither of these 
is the case. It is observed, that on the highest mountains, v/hen even 
there are spacious plains, and on these plains other hills and plains ; 
it is still much colder than in low lands and deep valleys. Even un- 
der the line, if from a plain, where the heat is excessive, we ascend 
a mountain 12,000 feet high, we shall feel the most piercing cold, and 
be in the region of snow and ice. 

It has also been further observed, that in winter, when the cold has 
been rigorous during the day, it has sensibly abated towards midnight ; 
the weather became temperate, although the rays of the sun did not 
then influence the atmosphere. It is therefore incontestable, that 
there is a warmth in the air which is not immediately produced by 
the sun. 

There are substances which warm and take fire by percussion, 
and by friction. The axle-trees of wheels take fire when carriages 
run too fast, and have not been properly greased. Other substances 
warm and take fire when they are mixed together. If a certain 
quantity of water be poured on a bundle of hay and straw, a consi- 
derable degree of warmth will take place. Substances which cor- 
rupt, or ferment, acquire a degree of heat which may be perceived 
by the thermometer, or by the touch. Even in the air, the motion 
of certain matters may occasion mixtures, dissolutions, and combina- 
tions, which may produce a great degree of heat. Thus we may ac- 



AUGUST XXI. 393 



Causes of the heat of the earth. 



count for the production of heat in the open air. The sun, in the 
first place, is the principal cause of it : to the heat which proceeds 
fiotn this planet, that of several living- creatures are united, that of 
iire excited by wood, coal, and other combustible matters ; that which 
comes out of the bowels of the earth, the depth of the sea, and from 
warm mineral springs. The heat is often very much increased by 
the fermentations which different bodies undergo ; whether on the 
surface of the earth, or in the upper regions of the atmosphere, 
v/here they produce VN^arm exhalations. When, therefore, all kinds of 
particles which float in the lower atmosphere, and which are proper 
to receive and preserve heat, are not cooled, nor dispersed by the 
winds and rain, the heat increases by degrees and becomes more and 
more intense. On the contrary, it is diminished when any of the 
above causes ceases to act. 

AH these plans are worthy of the wisdom and goodness of God. 
They are useful to all parts of the habitable globe : and the Creator has 
assigned to all climates that measure of happiness of which they 
were susceptible. But, we who live under a temperate climate, 
prove, very sensibly, the paternal cares of the Most High. Heat and 
cold are distributed to us in the wisest proportion : and we should be 
the most ungrateful of men, did we not acknowledge and celebrate 
the bounty of God towards us. 



AUGUST XXII. 

VARIETY OF PLANTS. 

One of the many things worthy of our admiration in the vegetable 
kingdom is, the great variety observable in plants. They are diver- 
sified in respect to their parts, their generation, their productions, and 
their virtues. 

The manner in which fructification is performed in many plants 
is very obscure. Little is known concerning its process in mosses^ 
mushrooms ^wdi ferns. There are plants which exhibit singular mon- 
strosities. We see flowers which have no tops ; there are some, out 
of the middle of which other flowers spring. Certain plants are 
termed sleepy plants, assume a different situation at the approach of 
night to what they had in the course of the day. Some turn towards 
the sun, others draw back and contract when they are touched. 
There are flowers which open and shut at certain regular hours; or 
in particular states of the weather. Some grow up, flourish, bear 
fruit, and lose their leaves, sooner than others. Plants differ also, 
with respect to the place of their growth ; some choosing one place 
in preference to another. All plants are originally wild ; i. e. they 
grow of themselves without culture. 

The Creator has assigned to plants different climates suited to their 
nature and uses ; and where they may best come to their perfection. 

50 



394 AUGUST XXII. 



Variety of plants. 



But, those which are exotics may be naturalized among us, and suc- 
ceed very well, provided care be taken to procure them a degree of 
warmth suitable to their nature. 

What delights our eyes most in plants is, their great variety of 
forms. Let the most perfect species be compared with those which 
are least so : or let the different species of the same genus be com- 
pared ; and we cannot but admire the astonishing variety of models, 
according to which nature works in the vegetable kingdom. We pass 
from the trufie^ to the sensitive plant : from the viushroom^ to the car- 
nation ; from the excrescence on the cherry-tree^ to the lilac ; from 
the nostoch, to the rose-bush ; from the 7noss on the cherry-tree, to the 
mould on the chestnut ; from the moral mushroom, to the oak ; from 
the moss, to the lime-tree ; from the mistle-toe, to the orange-tree ; and 
from the ir.y, to the^r. 

If we consider the numerous families of mushrooms, or the different 
kinds of plants which are termed imperfect; we cannot but admire 
the fecundity of nature in the production of those vegetables, which 
are so different in their form from others, that they can scarcely be 
ranked in the number of plants. If we ascend a few steps on the 
scale of plants, we behold, with pleasure, the series of plants with 
stalks, from the grass which grows between stones, to the inestimable 
plant to which we owe the principal part of our nourishment. We, 
in the next place, observe the vast variety of creepers, from the ten- 
der hind-weed, to the vine. 

What we can never sufficiently admire in the works of nature is, 
that the most perfect harmony prevails among this great variety. All 
plants, from the hyssop which grows on the wall, to the cedar of Le- 
banon, have the same essential parts. A little herb is as complete a 
plant as the most perfect rose : and the rose is not less perfect than 
the most stately oak. All appertain to the same monarchy ; all follow 
the same general laws of growth, proportion, and multiplication; and, 
nevertheless, each species is distinct from the other. Among so many 
thousands of plants, there is not one but has its distinct characteristic 
properties, particular manner of receiving nourishment, of growing, 
and perpetuating itself. What inexhaustible riches do we discover in 
their forms, colours, and proportions. 

They are highly privileged, who are capable of observing these 
varieties ; and of relishing the different beauties of the vegetable 
kingdom. What pleasure may the human mind find in this study ! 
After having entered fully into the spirit of this delightful employ- 
ment, we can renounce all others with ease, to make this our only 
study. The soul, enraptured with these delightful meditations, shall 
ascend to thee, O God, who art the Father of nature ! Thy power 
has produced all these plants ; thy wisdom has properly arranged 
them ; thy goodness manifests their endless variety, and affords us 
continual subjects of praise and gratitude to our Creator. And can 
we omit a duty to which all nature invites us, without having the 



AUGUST XXII. 395 



Variety of plants. 



most insensible and ungrateful heart ! And can we indulge such a 
spirit, and hope for the love and approbation of our Maker ? 



AUGUST XXIII. 

GENERAL REFLECTIONS ON THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 

We may consider the animal kingdom as a well governed state, 
where a proper number of inhabitants are found, and each in the 
place assigned to him : all have necessary faculties for their different 
avocations : they are induced to fulfil their appointments by rewards 
and punishments ; and are sufficiently protected against their adver- 
saries. In this republic of animals, those which are small and feeble, 
are in subjection to the strong and powerful; but all are in subjection 
to man, as the representative of the Deity. The inhabitants of the 
animal kingdom find every where a sufficiency of employment and 
food. They are dispersed every where, and their nature, their diffe- 
rent constitutions, and their organs, are suited to the different resi- 
dences assigned them. 

Their employments are various : but all tend either to the increase 
of their species, to maintain a constant equilibrium between the ani- 
mal and vegetable kingdoms ; or to provide for their own subsistence, 
and to defend themselves against their enemies. We may observe, 
that all the parts of their bodies are adapted to their functions, and 
to the nature of their minds. The Creator has given them certain 
instincts which compensate them for that reason of which they are 
deprived : instincts diversified in a thousand ways, and appropriated 
to their different wants : instincts for m.otion, instincts for food, to 
enable them to discern it infallibly, to find it out, to seize it, to pre- 
pare it, &c. Instincts for the constructing of nests, and other neces- 
sary places of abode ; to hoard provisions, and to go through their 
different changes. Instincts for the propagation of their species, to 
defend and preserve themselves from their enemies, &c. 

In each class of animals, there are some that live on prey ; and on 
the individuals which superabound in other classes. Each species 
has its peculiar enemies : hence it is that none can multiply too fast, 
and the proper balance is kept up. Sickly animals, or those which 
have some defect, are ordinarily the first which become a prey to the 
others: corrupt fruits and carcasses are devoured; and the earth is 
not incommoded, nor the air infected by them; and thus nature pre- 
serves its lustre, its bloom, and its purity. 

Beasts of prey have a make conformable to their manner of life: 
they are either endued with particular strength, or great agility, in- 
dustry, or cunning. But, in order to prevent them from destroying- 
whole species, they are confined within certain limits ; they do not 
multiply as fast as other animals ; and often they d&stroy one ano- 
ther ; or their young become a prey to other creatures. Some sleep 



396 AUGUST XXIIL 



Reflections on the animal kingdom. 



daring tlie winter, digest their food slowly, and feed on the fruits of 
the earth, when they can get no other food. Weak animals are pro- 
vided with means of defence, adapted to the places of their abode, and 
the dangers to which they are exposed : their natural weapons, their 
agility, their dwellings, their scales, their cunning, preserve them 
from destruction : and by these means, the proper balance is always 
kept up in the number of every species in the brute creation. 

Animals are, in some measure, obliged to perform the functions as- 
signed them ; because on this their happiness depends. They find 
their well-being in following the laws which nature has prescribed ; 
as, on the contrary, they cannot transgress them without necessarily 
bringing on themselves all sorts of evils. The mammalia^ or ani- 
mals which give milk, are the largest, and consequently the fewest in 
number ; but they fulfil very important offices. The functions of birds 
are also very much varied; they eat up superfluous grain, devour 
dead carcasses, and lessen the number of every species of insects. 

Most amphibious animals prey on others. The smallest animals 
are the most numerous ; and they are more voracious in proportion 
to their size. They manure many vegetables, and serve many other 
useful purposes. 

All the admirable things which we see in the animal kingdom, de- 
monstrate the existence of a Being who possesses all the treasures of 
wisdom and knowledge. Who, besides himself, could have peopled 
this vast globe with so many animals of different kinds ; and could 
provide them all that was necessary for their life and their well-be- 
ing ? Who, but God, could have nourished that infinite number of 
creatures according to their different tastes ? — could have provided 
them with coverings, places of abode, weapons, for necessary defence; 
and given them all so much address and sagacity, so many instincts 
and capacities ? Who but he, could have preserved the balance be- 
tween so many different species and classes of animals ? Who but 
the All-wise, could have assigned to every living creature its proper 
element ; form that innumerable multitude of limbs, joints, bones, 
muscles, and nerves, joined and articulated with so much art, harmo- 
ny, and perfection ; that each animal may perform its different mo- 
tions in a manner the most convenient, and best adapted to its way of 
life; and to the different situations in which it might be found? 

Yes, Lord God Almighty, it is thou alone who couldst do all these 
things ! And to thee all the glory, praise, and thanksgiving, belong. 
It is to thee alone that we owe homage and gratitude for all that thy 
hands have formed. The contemplation of the animal kingdom, and 
the innumerable conveniencies which accrue to uc from it should ex- 
cite us to pay thee that tribute of love and gratitude which to thee 
alone is due. 



AUGUST XXIV. 397 



Division of the earth. 



AUGUST XXIV. 

THE DIVISION OF THE EARTH. 

All the known world is divided into four principal parts ; Europe, 
Asia, Africa and America. 

Europe is the smallest. Its length from east to west is reckoned 
above 3,600 miles, and its breadth from north to south about 2,700. 
Its inhabitants possess many countries in different parts of the world ; 
and have nearly one half of the earth under their subjection. The 
Europeans alone travel into the four different parts of the globe ; 
and bring thence the productions of all countries. They are the most 
enlightened of all people; and those who cultivate the arts and scien- 
ces with the greatest success. 

Europe is the only part of the earth where the land is every 
where cultivated, and the whole surface filled with cities, towns, and 
villages, whose inhabitants keep up a constant intercourse with each 
other; and profess nearly the same religion. The other three parts 
are inhabited by a number of different people, who have no con- 
nexion with, and little knowledge of each other ; and who differ much 
in their customs, manner of life, and in their religion. 

Asia is inferior in size only to America. Its supposed extent, from 
the straits of Gallipoli in the west, to the eastern shore of Tartary^ 
is 4,800 miles ; and its breadth from the Southern extremity of Ma- 
lacca, to the frozen ocean, is nearly 4,500. As the countries which 
are found in the interior part of this continent, enjoy not the cooling 
air of the sea ; as they are not watered by many rivers ; as they have 
vast plains and barren mountains : the heats and colds are excessive ; 
the land is not very fertile, and consequently not well cultivated. 
Even at the present time, those inland countries are only inhabited 
by people, who, in the morning, pull down their cities and villages, 
carry them some miles with them, and build them up again at night in 
less than an hour. 

It seems as if nature had rendered this unsettled and w^andering 
life necessary ; and intended that the establishments, laws, and go- 
vernment of this people should have less consistence, and be more 
subject to change, than those of others. The other inhabitants of 
Asia have often suffered much from the restless and unquiet charac- 
ter of this vagabond people. The northern part, which is full of 
lakes, marshes, and forests, have never been regularly inhabited : but 
the southern, eastern, and western parts, are the most beautiful coun- 
tries in the world ; especially those which are situated towards the 
south. These are extraordinarily fertile, and produce, in abundance, 
every thing necessary for the support and comfort of life. 

America is the largest division of the known world ; it is bounded, 
as far as yet has been discovered, on all sides by the ocean : and ex- 
tends from the 80th degree of north latitude, to the 56th south : and 

from the 35th to the 136th west longitude from Gree^nvich. It is 



398 AUGUST XXIV. 



Division of the earth. 



nearly 10,000 miles in length from N. to S. Its average breadth 
from E. to W. is between 1400 and 1500 miles; but at its broadest 
part it measures 3,690 miles. It is said to contain upwards of 
14,000,000 square miles. — America was discovered by Christopher 
Cohcmhus, in 1491 : but it got its name from Americ Vespuce, a Flo- 
rentine, who discovered the continent south of the line in 1497. It 
is divided into two continents separated by the isthmus of Darien : 
which, in the narrowest part, is scarcely sixty miles across. The 
cold which prevails in the northern part ; the few useful productions 
that are found in it ; its distance from other inhabited countries; are 
the causes why it is so little known ; but we have room to believe, 
that the natural inhabitants of the country are not civilized. Forests 
and marshes still cover the land; and hitherto the Europeans have 
only cultivated the eastern parts. In South America, there were 
formerly great empires ; the remainder was inhabited by savages. 
Serpents, reptiles, and insects, are much larger here than in Europe. 
In general, we may say that America is the most extensive, and the 
worst inhabited part of the world. 

Africa extends nearly from 37° south latitude to 37° north ; and is 
about 4,300 miles in length; and its greatest breadth from Cape Verd 
to Cape Guardafui, is 3,500. Its form has been compared to a pyra- 
mid ; the Cape of Good Hope being supposed the summit, and the 
northern coast along the Mediterranean^ its base. As it is under 
the torrid zone, there are immense sandy deserts, mountains of a pro- 
digious height, forests almost burnt up, and monsters of every kind. 
The excessive heat enervates and enfeebles the faculties of the soul ; 
and very few well governed states are to be found in it. Though 
Africa is the most contiguous part of the world to Europe ; yet the in- 
terior of it is, as yet, but little known. 

If we calculate the number of leagues which these four parts of 
the world occupy, their size will appear very considerable : yet all the 
couiitries actually known, do not make one fourth of the globe ! And 
what is our earth, in comparison of those immense bodies which God 
has placed in the firmament ! It is lost in that innumerable multitude 
of the celestial spheres, as a grain of sand is lost in a mountain. But, 
to us, in whose eyes a cubit is a considerable length, the terrestrial 
globe is always a vast theatre of the wonders of God. And as we 
know but little of the worlds which are above us, let us endeavour to 
know that well which we inhabit, and use that knowledge to the glory 
of our Creator. 



AUGUST XXV. 

THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF LIGHT. 

Every moment we feel the utility of that light which is diffused 
over our globe ; but we cannot, with certainty, determine what its 
nature is. All that the greatest philosophers have said on the subject 



AUGUST XXV. 399 



The nature and propevlies of light. 



is but conjecture. Is it enough to say, that light is a fluid which en- 
compasses the earth, and requires only to be agita.ted by the sun, or 
some other inflamed body, in order to render it perceptible ? Or, is 
it Are itself, which, by the emanation of its infinitely fine particles, 
gently strikes our eyes at a certain distance ? The first hypothesis 
has been adopted by the most eminent philosophers. It is certain, at 
least, that there is a great difference betAveen fire and light. The 
latter is incomparably more subtile than the former. It penetrates 
glass, and other transparent bodies, in a moment; whereas fire does 
it very slowly. The pores of glass are consequently large enough to 
give a free passage to the light, while the fire meets with more re- 
sistance, because it is less subtile. Fire maoves more slowly than 
light. Let burning coals be brought into a room the heat diffuses it- 
self very slowly, and the air becomes warm by degrees : but the mo- 
ment a candle is brought into an apartment, the whole is suddenly 
illuminated; and wherever the rays can reach, the parts become 
visible. From these facts, and some others, it is concluded, that fire 
-and light are different substances ; although we generally see them 
both together, and find that one may produce the other. But the 
consequence drawn from this is possibly false. 

The properties and effects of light are not less incomprehensible 
than its nature. The rapidity of its motion is prodigious. If its ve- 
locity were no greater than that of sound, it would take up seventeen 
years to come from the sun to the earth. But, from very accurate 
observations of some eminent philosophers, it appears that light 
passes from the sun to us in eight minutes and twelve seconds. In the 
short space of one second^ a particle of light traverses an extent of 
one hundred and seventy thousaiid miles I Now as sound is propagated 
only at the rate of 1142 feet in a second, a particle of light must be 
786,000 times more subtile than a particle of air ; although the latter 
cannot be perceived by the naked eye, nor by the assistance of 
glasses with the greatest magnifying powers. Further, the observa- 
tions of astronomers inform us, that the rays of a fixed star, in order 
to reach us, must traverse a space which a cannon-ball, shot with 
the greatest force could not pass over in less than 104,000 millions of 
years ! The expansion or extent of the propagation of light is not 
less inconceivable. The space in which it is diffused is not less than 
the universe itself; the immensity of which exceeds the limits of the 
human understanding. It is by this almost unlimited diffusion of light 
that the very remotest of the heavenly bodies in the solar system, 
becomes discernible either by the naked eye, or by telescopes. And 
had w^e instruments that could carry our sight as far as the light is 
extended, we could not discover those bodies which are placed at 
the very extremity of the universe. 

It is certain that our understanding is too limjted to comprehend all 
the designs of God, relative to the nature and properties of light. 
But it is not less true, that we might explain many things, did we con- 
sider them with sufficient attention. Why, for instance, does the 



400 AUGUST XXV. 



The nature and properties of light. 



light propagate itself with such an inconceivable velocity, but that 
an endless multitude of objects may be perceived at the same time by 
an infinity of persons? If then the rays of light move so swiftly is 
it not that we may instantly discover the most distant objects ? Were 
the propagation of the rays of light slower, great inconveniencies 
would result to the inhabitants of the earth. The strength and 
splendour of the light would be greatly weakened ; the rays would be 
less penetrating ; and the darkness would be very slowly dissipated. 
Why are the particles of light so infinitely subtile, but that they may 
paint even the minutest objects in the eye ? Why have not these 
particles more density, but that they may not dazzle us by their 
splendour, nor injure us by their heat ! Why are the rays refracted 
in so many ways, but that we may the better distinguish the objects 
which present themselves to the eyes ! 

Thus the Creator ever keeps in view the gratification and benefit 
of his creatures. What gratitude do we owe to this Father of lights, 
for arrangements so wise and beneficent ! Had he not created the 
light, how could we have enjoyed life ? Of how many sources of 
pleasure should we have been deprived ! And within what narrow 
limits would our occupations and knowledge have been confined ! 



AUGUST XXVI. 

THE FORMATION OF BIRDS. 

Birds are, undoubtedly, to be ranked among the most beautiful 
creatures on the earth. The form of their bodies even in their 
smallest parts, is so regular and perfect, as sufficiently to prove the 
wisdom of the Creator. Like the mammalia, or animals which give 
milk, they have real bones ; but they are differently clothed. The 
bodies are covered with feathers fastened in the skin, laid one over 
another in a regular order, and furnished with a soft and warm down. 
The large feathers are covered above and below with smaller ones. 
Each feather consists of a quill and beards. The quill is hollow be- 
low, and by it the feather receives its nourishment : towards the top 
it is full of a sort of marrow. The beards are a range of little thin 
flat flakes, closely connected at the two edges. Instead of having 
fore-legs, like a quadruped, birds have two wings ; these are composed 
of eleven bones ; in the muscles of which the feathers intended for 
flight are set. These feathers turned back, form a species of vault 
fortified by two rows of smaller feathers, which cover the root of the 
larger ones. The mechanism of the wings is truly admirable. They 
do not strike behind like the fins offish, but they act perpendicularly 
against the air which is under them, which greatly assists the flight 
of birds. 

The wings are hollowed a little that they may take in more air, 
and the feathers are so closely united, that the air cannot pass through 



AUGUST XXVI. 401 



Formation of birds. 



them. The body is suspended between the two wings in a perfect 
equilibrium, and in the most convenient manner for them to execute 
their different motions. The heads of birds are made small, that the 
weight may not retard the vibrations of the wings ; and to be more 
proper to divide the air, and make their way through that element. 
The principal use of the tail is not to supply the place of a rudder, 
but to preserve the balance in flying, and to assist the bird to ascend 
or descend in- the air. The legs, never more than two, are so placed 
as to preserve the body in the centre of gravity. In some birds, they 
are placed so much behind, that they can only be used in swimming. 
The limbs are composed of the thighs, of the legs, properly so called, 
and the claws. The thighs are covered with muscles, and generally 
with feathers. As to the legs, they are lean, and ordinarily naked. 
Most birds have four toes, three of which are before, and one be- 
hind. At the end of the toes they have nails, which they use either 
to assist them to perch, seize their prey, or take up their food. Some 
birds feed on animals, and others live on plants, particularly their 
fruits and seeds. Those which live on seeds, steep and soften them 
in their crop. Whence there can pass but a small portion of food at 
a time into the stomach, because in this sort of bird it is very small. 
Their stomach is composed of very strong muscles, by means of 
which the food is the better broken and ground : and ordinarily such 
birds swallow sand, and little rough pebbles, to assist digestion. Birds 
of prey have a weaker stomach, and they have recourse to small 
stones to assist its operations. 

Not to see evidences of the wisdom and providence of God, in the 
formation of birds, would argue a total want of reason. The bodies 
of birds are formed throughout with so much art and harmony, that 
they are perfectly conformed to their manner of life, and to their 
different necessities. The stork, and the heron, who must seek their 
food principally in marshes, have very long bills, and long legs, that 
they may run in the water without being wet, and reach far in to" 
seize their prey. The hawk, and eagle, which live on rapine, are 
provided with large wings, strong claws, and large beaks ; which are 
necessary to preserve them from starving. The swallows' bill is 
small and pointed ; their mouth is large, and cloven up to the eyes ; 
on the one hand, that they may not miss the insects which they meet 
with in flying ; and on the other, that they may pierce through them 
the more easily. The swan has a particular reservoir in its wind- 
pipe, whence it draws in air enough to breathe, while seeking its food 
with its head and neck plunged under water. Several little birds, 
which fly and hop among the thickets, have a little membrane over 
their eyes to defend them from injury. In a word, the formation of 
each bird is admirably appropriated to its manner of life, and to its 
wants. Each species is perfect in its kind ; and none of their mem- 
bers is superfluous, deformed, or useless. 

The wisdom observable here will appear still more admirable, 
when we consider that all the parts of birds are not only appropria- 

51 



402 AUGUST XXVI. 



Formation of birds. 



ted to their different necessities, but they also concur to give them 
the most bea^utiful shape. What an astonishing diversity of construc- 
tion^ proportion, and colour, do we behold from the raven to the swallow ; 
from the partridge to the vulture ; from the wren to the ostrich ; from 
the owl to the peacock ; and from the crow to the nightingale ? All 
these birds are beautiful and regular in their kind, but each has its own 
peculiar beauty. 

Thus a sight of the birds may become useful and edifying to us, if we 
accustam ourselves to contemplate the Creator in them. Happy would 
it be for us if we made this use of the creatures : what a pleasing 
employment, what pure and heavenly pleasures, might such contem- 
plations afford us ! 



AUGUST XXVIL 

REFLECTIONS ON THE SKY. 

We have only to cast our eyes on the sky, to be struck with admira- 
tion at this magnificent work of the Creator. With what splendour 
does this sapphire vault shine, this rich canopy spread over our 
dwelling, especially during the night, when thousands of lustres are 
suspended from it, and the moon diffuses her mild light far and wide ! 
Wha can lift up his eyes and contemplate this ravishing sight without 
astonishment, without the sweetest emotion ! But we discover still 
many more wonders, when the eye of the mind traverses this im- 
mense space, and makes it the subject of its meditations. Where are 
the bounds of this space ! Where its beginning ! Where its end ! 
Innumerable spheres, of a prodigious size, are raised one above the 
other ; and the human mind that would attempt to follow them in 
their rapid career, must soon feel its own weakness. A pure ethe- 
rial air, infinitely subtile, fills the whole space : it supports these pro- 
digious masses, and marks out the orbits in which they continually 
revolve. There are neither props nor pillars to support this im- 
mense arch, and the enormous load which it carries : it is neither 
suspended nor attached to any thing; nevertheless, it has supported 
itself thousands of years, and will continue to do so for ever. 

How great is the number, how vast the bulk, of those celestial bo- 
dies with which the ether is filled ! The magnitude of the sun, and 
that of several planets which move round it, is vastly superior to that 
of our earth. And who knows but among the stars there may be 
found many equal, if not superior in size, to the sun himself! Their 
prodigious distance causes them to appear as brilliant points in the 
sky ; but in reality they are so many suns, whose immense circum- 
ference cannot be measured. The eye, unassisted with glasses, dis- 
covers an innumerable multitude of celestial bodies, when, during 
the night, they are permitted to sparkle in the absence of the sun. 
But how naany more do we discover by the help of a telescope ! And 



AUGUST XXVII. 403 



Reflections on the sky. 



is it not probable, that there are multitudes of others which we can- 
not discover, because they are out of the reach of our best instru- 
ments? We may venture to assert, that thousands of suns and worlds 
roll in the ether ; and that the whole of the solar system is but the 
smallest part of that great host, which is ranged above us in such 
beautiful order. 

All this should fill us with admiration : but the sky presents^ to an 
attentive mind greater wonders still. These bodies are in a conti- 
nual motion, which is subject to invariable laws. They all turn round 
their own axes ; and the greater part revolve, in immense circles, 
round other globes. A particular path is assigned to each, from which 
it never departs. They run their career with a rapidity that sur- 
passes human imagination. They have a power by which they fly 
from the centre : and nevertheless an equal force retains them in 
their orbits. Though so many thousands of bodies roll in this space, 
yet they never strike against, nor incommode each other. The stars 
which appear to us dispersed with so much confusion in the firma- 
ment, are, on the contrary, placed there in the best order, and in the 
most perfect harmony. For thousands of years they have risen and 
set regularly in the same manner : and astronomers can foretel, with" 
the utmost certainty, their position and their course. What new 
subjects of admiration should we have, had we a more extensive 
knowledge of these innumerable globes ! But we know little be- 
sides the system to which our earth belongs ; and of which the sun: 
is, so to speak, the monarch. 

Who can lift up his eyes and contemplate the heavens, without 
being struck with astonishment at the idea of that Supreme Being 
who has formed this magnificent work ! Let this admiration lead us- 
to humble ourselves in the dust before him, and to adore and glorify 
his name. And while we acknowledge how weak and imperfect our 
homage is, let us look forward to that glorious change which shall one 
day take place in us ; when a nearer contemplation of those wonders,' 
which we now see obscurely, and at a distance, will make our hearts- 
overflow with gratitude and joy ! 



AUGUST XXVIIL 

MORAL REFLECTIONS ON A CORN-FIELI>. 

This field was lately exposed to great dangers. Impetuous winds 
whistled round it ; and the storm often threatened to beat down and 
destroy all the ears. Nevertheless, Providence has preserved it ta 

the present day. Thus, the tempests of affliction often threaten 

to overwhelm us : yet these storms are necessary ; they often be- 
come means of our purification, and of rooting up the tares of sin. 
Often, in the midst of trouble and sorrow, our knowledge, faith, arid- 
humility, are increased and strengthened. It is true, that like the 



404 AUGUST XXVIII. 



Moral reflections on a corn-field. 



weaker stalks of corn, we often bend, and are bowed down to the 
earth : but the compassionate hand of our Father supports and raises 
us up again. 

As the harvest approaches, the corn ripens very fast. The dew, 
the heat of the sun, and the showers, unite to bring it to its maturity. 
May we daily ripen for heaven ! And may all the events of our lives 
lead to this salutary end ! Whatever our situation may be here 
below : whether the sun of prosperity shine upon us, or our sky be 
clouded with adversity ; whether our days be gloomy or serene, may 
all concur to perfect our piety, and fit us more and more for eter- 
nity ! 

It is worthy of observation, that those stalks which carry the lar- 
gest and finest ears, differ much in height from those which are poor 
and light. The latter stand erect, and overlook the whole field, 
while the others bend under their own weight. These are emblems 
of two sorts of professing Christians. We see some who are vain, 
and presumptuous, who having but a small share of religion them- 
selves, act insolently towards others ; and regard the truly pious 
with contempt. A foolish presumption blinds them, and causes them 
to disdain the proper means of salvation. Those, on the contrary, 
who are rich in grace, and abundant in good works, bend modestly 
down, like the well-filled ears. 

All the corn which is to be cut down, is not equal in goodness. 
How many tares and weeds are mixed with the corn I Such is the 
state of many Christians in this world : for a long time we observe in 
them a mixture of good and bad qualities : and their natural corrup- 
tion like tares, often hinders their progress in righteousness, A field 
of corn is not only the emblem of a Christian in particular, but also 
of the Church in general. The profane and the wicked often sow, 
by their evil example, tares in the field where there should be no- 
thing but good seed. The great Proprietor of the field permits those 
tares to remain for a season : he exercises patience and long-sufiering ; 
and will not give free course to his justice till the time of harvest, the 
great day of retribution. Behold with what eagerness the country 
people run to collect the fruits of the earth ! The sickle levels all 
before them. Thus death brings all to the dust, the great and the 
small, the rich and the poor, saints and sinners ! 

But what does this noise in the fields mean ! O ! it is the sound 
of joy and gladness at the sight of an abundant crop. O that they were 
also the cries of praise and thanksgiving, to celebrate the goodness 
of God, from which all these blessings proceed ! But how joyful shall 
the righteous be in the great day of the harvest ! With what unutter- 
able love shall their hearts overflow, when they are introduced into 
the blessed society of angels, and the spirits of just men made per- 
fect ! Then shall they remember, with gratitude, their form.er labours 
and sufiering; the dangers and tempests through which they have 
been safely brought ; and their hearts and voices shall be united to 
magnify that beneficent Father who has watched over them. Let 



AUGUST XXVIII. 405 



Reflections on a corn-field. 



this pleasing hope support us in the time- of trouble; let it comfort 
us in our sufferings ; and cause us patiently to wait for the great har- 
vest day ! 



AUGUST XXIX. 

SHELL-FISH. 

Shell-fish, or testaceous animals, constitute a very considerable 
part of the animal kingdom. They live in houses of a substance 
more or less calcareous, which may be considered as their bones. 
Their shells are either univalve, i. e. of one piece ; or bivalve, or 
multivalve, i. e. composed of two or more pieces. Testaceous ani- 
mals form two large families: the muscle, the shell of which consists 
of more than one piece ; and the sea-snail, whose shell is in one piece, 
and generally spiral. The construction of the former is much more 
simple than that of the latter. Muscles have neither head, horns, nor 
jaws. A windpipe, a mouth, and sometimes a species of foot, are all 
that can be distinguished in them. The greater part of the snail kind 
have, on the contrary, a head, horns, eyes, and a foot. 

There is a great variety among shell-fish relative to generation. In 
some the sex is discoverable ; others are hermaphrodites ; and some 
seem to be of no sex. Some are oviyarous, others are viviparous. 
"Testaceous animals are born with their shells on them ; but in pro- 
portion as the animal grows in his house, (the interior walls of which 
are covered wdth a very fine mxem.brane) it increases also, not only in 
thickness by layers one over the other, but also in circumference ; be- 
cause the circumvolutions or spires, multiply more and n^ore. The 
shells are formed by a viscous liquid, which transpire-^ from the anis- 
mal ; and which grows hard, and thickens by deg-^ees. But whether 
shells grow by an external juxtaposition, or by inward nourishment in 
the ordinary way, has not been absolutely determined. However, it 
is most likely that they are formed in the way first mentioned. Most 
shell-fish live in the water, and especially in the sea ; sometimes near 
the shore, and sometimes in tiie main ocean. 

Some are carnivorous, others feed on plants. Some stay at the 
bottom of the sea ; otiiers stick immoveably to the rocks. Oysters 
and many other animals with hard shells, attach themselves to differ- 
ent substances, and continue firmly united to them, by m.eans of a glu- 
tinous, gritty liquor : and often they are cemented one to another in 
heaps. This adhesion is voluntary in some shell-fish, which fasten 
themselves as occasion may require : but it is involuntary in others, 
w^hich continue always immoveable on those rocks to vv^hich they 
fasten at first. 

The knowledge we have of various animals is still very imper- 
fect. As they mostly live in the bottom of the water, it is very diffi- 
cult to make exact observations on their formation, mode of life, foodj 



406 AUGUST XXIX. 



Shell-fish. 



propagation, motions, &c. As yet we know but three or four classes 
of shell-fish ; but it is very likely that hundreds of others might be 
discovered, could we carry our researches to the depths of the sea, 
and the bottoms of rivers. Hitherto we have scarcely attended to any 
thing besides the beautiful shape and colours of shells ; but the true 
construction and manner of life of the animals which inhabit them 
are still very little known ; and we know almost nothing of the end 
for which they were formed. Nevertheless, this class of animals fur- 
nishes us with subjects sufficient to lead us to admire the infinite 
grandeur of God. How immense is his empire ! In every place we 
find creatures, each of which, in its particular order, bears the signa- 
ture of the Divine Majesty. To be convinced of this, v/e have only 
.to enter into the cabinets of those who preserve the shells of these 
animals. Let us consider the prodigious diversity manifest in their 
size, form, and colours. — Here the finger of God is visibly shown ; 
and every thing convinces us that he has proposed ends highly wor- 
thy of his wisdom and goodness. 



AUGUST XXX. 

jQN THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 

A God who, from his supreme elevation, could be an indifferent 
and idle spectator of all the revolutions, which take place in this 
Avorld, would not be worthy of our homage. Happy for us. that the 
government [of the God we adore comprehends all his creatures. 
Every where we may find the centre of his empire, but we no where 
find its limits. All his works are continually before his eyes. He 
sees the past, the present, and the future, at one glance, and compre- 
hends all their relations and dependencies. The least events, the 
most trifling circums^n.nces, so far from escaping his notice, enter all 
into the plan which he Wis formed to accomplish the infinitely wise 
and holy ends which he has ;proposed. And all these ends unite and 
concentre to produce the greate^^ possible degree of happiness to his 
creatures. Yes, God takes pleasure in his works ; with one glance 
of his eye he sees the whole ; and with a single act of his will he 
governs all. His laws are dictated by infinity wisdom, and his com- 
mandments are a source of joy and happiness. 

God by his providence preserves the different species of creatures 
which he formed in the beginning of the world. Animals die, but 
others come in their place. Generations of men pass away, and 
others succeed them. The Ruler of the world makes use of inani- 
mate creatures to preserve and render those that live happy ; and 
finally, he subjects the whole to man, who, of all his creatures here 
below, is alone capable of knowing his works and adoring him. 

This God, who is holiness itself, wills that all his creatures should 
be holy. By the continual proofs which he gives them of his love 



AUGUST XXX. 407 



On the government of God. 



for goodness, and his hatred to evil, he speaks to their hearts, and 
necessarily encourages them to walk in the way he has pointed out. 
He directs their actions to this end : he renders their designs abortive 
when they are contrary to his merciful views : and he furnishes them 
with means to avoid the paths of iniquity. What wise measures did 
he make use of to lead the children of Israel to the blessed ends he 
proposed ! In vain did the idolatrous nations more than once conspire 
to destroy them ; they were still supported by the protection of their 
God. He neglected nothing to maintain his pure and holy religion 
among them; which distinguished them from the idolatrous people 
around. 

But our God dwells in light inaccessible. There are depths of wis- 
dom in his government which no creature can fathom. Our under- 
standing is too weak to comprehend the whole of the plans of the Lord, 
so as to form just ideas, before the event has unfolded them. Our 
knowledge is too limited to penetrate the infinitely wise counsels of 
the Di-vdne Being ; and to discover, before-hand, the motives of his 
conduct, and of his dispensations. The wicked often sit among prin- 
ces, while the righteous pine in the dust : the wicked triumph, and 
the good man is oppressed. Every thing smiles on the bad, while the 
friend of God meets with nothing but affliction and loss. — And yet 
there is a Providence. — Yes notwithstanding all these apparent disor- 
ders, the Lord is ever the tender Father of his creatures ; their God 
infinitely wise : and their just and equitable King. He should be 
adored in all his dispensations, however impenetrable thev may appear 
to us. His counsels are marvellous : his plans surpass our under^ 
standing : all that takes place in this world, and which so often asto- 
nishes us, tends to tKe accomplishment of the most excellent designs. 
That load of affliction and misery under which we groan, may possi- 
bly have the happiest influence over our future state, this apparent 
evil is probably an indispensible remedy for the soul ; and on this salu- 
tary chastisement, the perfection of our faith, the purification of our 
heart, and our eternal felicity may, in a certain measure depend. O 
thou who art discontented with th}^ lot, consider these things, and thou 
shralt cease to complain. " Why, O man dost thou undertake to fathom 
those purposes according to which God governs the world? Thy un- 
derstanding is limited, and yet thou pretendest to discover the views 
which an infinite Being proposes to himself ! Thou canst not com- 
prehend the connexion of those things which pass under thy notice \ 
thou art ignorant of that which went before, and of that which must 
follow : and nevertheless thou hast the presumption to decide concern!- 
ing causes and effects I Providence is just in all its plans ; and in all 
its dispensations. It is true that thou canst not always see the motives 
of his conduct ; to be able to comprehend them, thou must be what 
God is." 



408 AUGUST XXXI. 



Harvest hymn. 



AUGUST XXXI. 

A HARVEST HYMN. 

Our fields crowned with ears of corn, are a hymn of praise to Je- 
hovah : the joy which sparkles in the eyes of the reaper, is a hymn 
to the God of Nature. It is He who causes bread to spring out of 
the earth; and who loads us with his blessings. Come, let us assemble 
and sing unto the Lord ; let his praise be for ever the subject of our 
songs. Let us listen to the voice which we hear from the bosom of 
our fruitful fields. " The year shall crown thee with its blessings, 
O world, thy happiness is my work. I have called forth the spring ; 
the harvest and its produce are the works of my power. The fields, 
by which thou art supported, and the little hills covered with corn, are 
mine." Yes, O Lord we see thy Majesty, and feel the value of thy 
favours. It is by thee that we exist ; life and its supply are presents 
from thy hand. Blessed be thou, field, which prodacest good for 
man. Flourish, thou beautiful meadow; clothe yourselves with thick 
foliage, O ye forests ! God of nature, be thou ever beneficent towards 
us ! Then, from the dawn of the morning, to the close of the day, 
the Lord shall be the object of our praise : free from anxiety, we shall 
rejoice in his benefits, and our children shall repeat after us : " The 
God of heaven is our Father : the Lord, the Lord, He is God. 



AUGUST XXXI.^ 

THANKSGIVINiG FOR GOD's PROVIDENTIAL CARE OF HIS CREATURES. 

Lord, thou art worthy to receive glory, honour, and praise. Lord, 
my God, my Redeemer, my Rock, and my High Defence. My soul 
blesses thee. I will publish thy wonders : I will rejoice and be glad 
in thee, and celebrate thy name, O thou Most High ! 

I give thee thanks for that immortal soul which thou hast given me ; 
which thou hast redeemed by the blood of thy Son ; and which thou 
sanctifiest by thy gxace. 

I praise thee for the body thou hast given me, and which thou still 
preservest in health and strength ; for these limbs so well adapted to 
their ends : and senses, which a.re still preserved in strength and 
vigour. Eternal Source of life and happiness ! To thee I owe my 
being, and for it I praise thy name. 

I give thee thanks for that fatherly goodness with which thou pro- 
videst daily for my support ; and for those various and innumerable 
blessings which thou dispensest to me, and which render my life com- 
fortable. 

I praise thee for those tender connexions thy providence has led 
me to form : and for the inestimable present thou hast made me in 
giving me friends. 



AUGUST XXXU^ 409 



Thaiiksgivlng for God's care of his creature 



I give thee thanks for the glorious hope I have of knowing one 
day, by happy and eternal experience, in what the blessedness of 
heaven consists. 

I praise thee for this month which I am now so happily concluding. 
O God, thou hast done great things in my behalf j my soul rejoices in 
it ,• may I magnify thee for ever and ever ! 



SEPTEMBER 



SEPTEMBER I. 

A HYMN TO THE PRAISE OF THE MOST HIGH. 

Sing unto the Lord with holy rapture ; sing a new song unto our 
God ! The Lord is great ! Let us for ever celebrate this Being, 
who is infinitely good, infinitely wise, and from whose eyes nothing 
can be hid. 

He has stretched out his starry heaven as a pavilion over our 
heads. There, encompassed with the splendour of innumerable 
suns, he has established his throne. There he dwells in light inac- 
cessible to mortals. 

Lord, I am lost in this splendour ; but thou, in thy infinite good- 
ness, art to be found every where ; thou art incessantly present with 
all thy creatures. Astonished at the wisdom of thy providence, and 
penetrated with admiration, I praise and exalt thy holy name. 

1 glorify thee, who governest the earth with paternal care : thou 
enlightenest it by the sun ; thou waterest it by showers ; and refresh- 
est it by dews. 

Thou coverest it with smiling verdure; thou crownest it with 
flowers ; thou enrichest it with crops ; and renewest its ornaments 
and its blessings year by year. 

Thy care extends to all that exists ; and the smallest creature is 
an object of thy kind attention. The young raven which, covered 
with snow, cries unto thee from the summit of a barren rock, is fed 
by thy hand. 

Thou commandest the cooling stream to run from the bosom of the 
barren mountains : thou orderest the sun to invigorate the vines which 
adorn the hills, and ripen the fruits of our orchards ; thou sendest 
the cooling breeze into our forests. 

When thy sun begins to illuminate the world by the splendour of 
his fires, he calls forth the creatures to their labour ; all is active in 
nature, till the time when the silence and darkness of the night bring 
on the desired repose. 

52 



410 SEPTEMBER I. 



A hymn to the praise of the Most High. 



But, as soon as the day begins again to spring up, the choir of birds 
cause the air to resound with songs of gratitude and joy : it is then 
that all the nations of the world, and the zones under heaven, lift up 
one concert of praise unto Thee. 

To thee they sing, Father of all beings ! Thou lovest all, thou 
loadest all with thy blessings ; thou hast designed all men for happi- 
ness, provided they themselves desire to be happy. 

May thy name be celebrated in all the worlds which compose thy 
empire ! Let every voice unite in a universal song to that God whose 
goodness is unlimited, and whose wisdom is eternal ! 



SEPTEMBER I.^ 

THE OMNIPRESENCE OP GOD. 

Thou art present every where, Almighty God ! Yes, thou art 
here, thou art afar off, thoa fiUest the universe. Here grows a 
flower ; there shines a sun : thou art there ; thou art here also. Thou 
art in the breeze, and in the tempest : in the light, and in the dark- 
ness : in an atom, and in a world. Thou art present here in this 
flowery valley : thou attendest to my feeble accents ; and thou hear- 
est, at the foot of thy throne, the sublime songs which accompany the 
seraph's lyre. O thou, who art the God of the seraphim : thou art 
also my God! Thou hearest us both ; thou hearest also the joyous 
notes with which yonder lark causes the air to resound ; thou hear- 
est also the humming of that young bee that flutters round the rose. 
Omnipresent Being ! If thou hearest me, grant also my request : 
may I never forget that I am in thy sight : may I think and act as in 
thy presence : that when cited to the tribunal of my Judge, with the 
whole world of spirits, I may not be constrained to flee from the face 
of the Holy of Holies ! 



SEPTEMBER 11. 

THE BEAUTY AND VARIETY OF BI/TTERFLIES, 

Let us examine those beautiful creatures before they die ; proba- 
bly this examination may be instructive both to our understanding and 
to our heart. 

The first thing that merits our attention when viewing the inhabi- 
tants of the air is, the dress with which they are adorned. Some of 
them, however, have nothing parti^larly striking in this respect, 
their clothing is plain and simple, others have a few ornaments on 
their wings ; and some have such a profusion that they are entirely 
covered with them. Let us reflect, for a few moments, on this last 
species. How beautiful are the shades which adorn it ! How pretty 



SEPTEMBER II. 411 



Beauty and variety of butterflies. 



the spots which set off other parts of its dress ! With what delicacy- 
has nature penciled them ! But, however great my admiration may- 
be, while I view this insect with the naked eye, it will be vastly in- 
creased when I view it through a microscope. 

Who could have imagined that the wings of butterflies were gar- 
nished with feathers ? And yet nothing is more certain. What is 
commonly termed dust on their wings, is found to be feathers. Their 
structure and arrangement are as full of symmetry as their colours 
are of beauty. The central parts of these little feathers, which come 
in contact with the wings, are the strongest ; those, on the contrary, 
which form the external circumference, are much more delicate, and 
extremely fine. All these feathers have a quill at the end; but the 
superior part is more transparent than the quill from which they pro- 
ceed. If the wing be roughly handled, the more delicate part of the 
feathers will be destroyed. But, if what is called the dust be wiped 
away, nothing remains but a fine transparent skin, where may be rea- 
dily distinguished the little holes in which the quill of each feather 
was inserted. This skin, from the manner of its formation, may be 
as easily distinguished from the rest of the wing, as fine gauze from 
the cloth on which it is sowed : it is more porous, more delicate, and 
seems as if embroidered with a needle ; lastly, its contour is termi- 
nated with a fringe, the threads of which are extremely fine, and suc- 
ceed each other in the most regular order. 

What are our most elegant dresses, in comparison of that which 
nature has given this insect ? Our finest laces are but coarse cloth, 
compared to the delicate texture which covers the butterfly's wings ; 
and our finest thread appears, in presence of this, but a clumsy rope. 
such is the extreme difference between the works of nature and art, 
when examined through a microscope. The former are finished in 
the utmost perfection imaginable : the latter, even the most beauti- 
ful in their kind, have no proper finish, and are coarsely made up. 
How beautiful does a fine piece of cambric appear to us ! Nothing 
more delicate than its threads : nothing more regular than its texture : 
nevertheless, these fine threads, viewed through a microscope, resem- 
ble hempen packthread ; and we should rather suppose the cloth to 
have been wrought by the hands of a basket-maker, than by an excel- 
lent weaver. 

What is more astonishing in this brilliant insect is, that it comes 
from a worm, whose appearance is mean and vile. See how this 
butterfly spreads its sparkling wings to the sun, how it sports in his 
rays ! How it rejoices in its existence, and flutters from flower to 
flower. Its splendid wings present us with the magnificence of the 
rainbow ! How beautiful is it now I How much has it changed since 
the time in which, under the form of a reptile, it grovelled in the 
dust, always in danger of being trodden to death. Who has raised it 
above the earth ? Who has given it the facuhy of living in the air ? 
Who has given it these beautifully coloured wings ? It was God. it 
was its Author and ours. In this insect he has shown us an emblem 



412 SEPTEMBER IL 



Beauty and varieties of butterflies. 



of the transformation which awaits the righteous : a day w'ill come, 
when, quitting this present form, they will cease to grovel on the 
earth : then, holy and glorious, they shall be raised above the clouds ; 
and, having nothing to obstruct their activity, they shall spring for- 
ward even beyond the stars themselves. 



SEPTEMBER III. 

THE GROWTH OF TREES. 

Each tree, however bushy it may be, receives its principal nou- 
rishment from its lower parts : and it is probable there is in it a cir- 
culation of juices similar to the circulation of blood in the human 
body. The extremities of the roots are a prodigious mass of spongy 
fibres and globules of air : but are always open to imbibe the juice 
which the earth affords them. This juice is at first nothing but water 
impregnated wdth earthly particles : then, by means of a sort of milky 
substance, which is peculiar to each tree, and which distinguishes it 
from others, the juice acquires a nutritive quality before it ascends into 
those parts of the tree which are above the surface of the earth. By 
the assistance of a microscope, wood, notwithstanding its hardness, is 
found to be nothing else than an assem.blage of an infinite multitude 
of little hollow fibres. 

Most of them, particularly in shrubs, ascend perpendicularly : but, 
to give more consistence to these fibres, there are, in certain trees, 
(particularly in those designed to be strong and hard,) tubes, which 
proceed horizontally from the centre to the circumference. At- 
tracted by the heat of the sun, the juice ascends by degrees into the 
branches, and to all their external parts ; as the blood, proceeding from 
the heart, is carried by the arteries to the extremities of the animal 
body. When the juice has been sufficiently diffused through all the 
parts where it was necessary, what remains ascends by certain large 
vessels, placed between the outward and inward bark, just as the 
blood returns back through the veins. From this a growth results 
which is annually renewed, and this is what constitutes the size of 
the trees. To be convinced of this, we need only cut a branch 
transversely., and from this we shall be able to ascertain the age of the 
tree. While the trunk grows more and more in height, the roots 
grow downward in the same proportion. As to the exterior bark, it 
appears to be designed to serve, in some sort, as a garment to the 
tree ; to unite the component parts closely together ; and to preserve 
ihe tender, but essential parts, from external accidents, and from the 
intemperature of the air. 

Thus has the wise Creator formed an admirable system of solid and 
fluid materials, in order to give life and growth to those trees which 
■adorn our fields, and give shade to our flocks, our shepherds, and our 
cottages ; and which, when cut down, serve so many useful purposes 



SEPTEMBER III. 413 



Tlie growth of trees. 



to many. In this we discover that wisdom which is never mistaken, 
which prescribes to nature laws, in certain respects, immutable ; and 
which act uninterruptedly under the eye of Providence. A wisdom 
so profound, an art so marvellous ; so many preparations and com- 
binations for each tree, should excite us to venerate and admire his 
creating hand. The contemplation of this wisdom is a most delightful 
study, and must animate us to glorify that God, so great in his coun- 
sels and plans, and so wonderful in their execution. The more traces 
we discover of this wise Providence, the more we should be induced to 
place all our interests in his hands, who can never want means to turn 
all things to the advantage of his creatures. Finally, we should be en- 
couraged to raise our affections to him, and supplicate him to enrich our 
souls with the gift of wisdom, and cause them to grow in grace. 

May we, in our progress through life, resemble a flourishing tree ; 
may we incessantly grow up in all righteousness ! May we bring 
forth fruit suitable to our situation in life, and to that capacity which 
God has given us ! May we also grow imvardly ! May our souls be 
strengthened in holiness : established against all the storms of life ; 
and deeply rooted in humility ! May we never find the emblem of 
our state in an old tree, which, the longer it grows, the more it at- 
taches itself to the earth. The nearer we come to the tomb, the more 
free should we be from all earthly attachments. 



SEPTEMBER IV, 



THE ANT-LION. 



No insect is more famous for its dexterity, than the ant-lio7i : there 
are fifteen species of them, but the formicarius, or ant-eater, is the 
most remarkable ; it nearly resembles the looodlouse. It is provided 
with six feet ; and its body, which is composed of many membrane- 
ous rings, terminates in a point. Its head, flat and square, is armed 
with two moveable crooked horns, whose singular structure shows 
how admirable nature is, even in her smallest works. 

This insect is the most subtle and dangerous enemy the ant has : 
the plans he forms to ensnare his prey, are very ingenious. He 
mines a portion of earth, in form of a funnel, and there waits in ex- 
pectation of dragging to the bottom those ants which may chance to 
come to the precipice. In order to dig it, he traces in the earth a 
circular furrow, the circumference of which is exactly equal to the 
opening of the funnel ; and the diam.eter of the funnel is always 
equal to the depth of his ditch. When he has fixed on the size of 
this opening, and traced the first furrow, he digs a second, concentric 
to the first, that he may throw out all the sand enclosed in the first 
circle. All these operations he performs with his head, which serves 
him in place of a shovel; and its flat and square form renders it fit 



414 SEPTEMBER IV. 



The ant-lion. 



for this purpose. He also takes some sand with one of his fore-feet 
to throw it beyond the first farrow : and this work he repeats till he 
has got a certain depth in the sand. Sometimes in digging he meets 
with grains of sand, or dry bits of -earth, too large to remain in his 
funnel. Of these he rids himself by a quick and well-timed motion 
of his head. If he finds larger substances, he endeavours to push 
them away with his back : and he is so assiduous in his labour, that 
he repeats it even six or seven times. 

At last the ant-lion comes to enjoy the fruit of his labour. When 
liis nets are once well laid, he is on the watch : motionless and con- 
cealed at the bottom of the ditch which he has digged, he waits for 
the prey that he is unable to pursue. Should. any ant come on the 
brink of his precipice, it generally rolls down to the bottom, because 
the brink is made sloping ; the loose sand gives way under his feet, 
and the insect falls into the power of the enemy, who by the assist- 
ance of his horns, drags it under the sand, and feasts on it by sucking 
its blood. When nothing remains but the dead body, without blood 
or juices, he casts it out of his trench, and repairs any injury it may 
have sustained, and sets himself in ambush anew. He does not 
always succeed in seizing his prey the moment it falls in : it often 
escapes, and endeavours to climb up to the top of the funnel i but 
then the ant-lion works with his head, and throws a shower of sand 
on his prey, part of which being cast beyond the ant, drags it down 
to the bottom of the trench. 

All the actions of this little animal are so full of art, that we might 
long examine them without being wearied. The ant-lion employs 
himself in preparing his trench before he has even seen the animal 
which is his destined nourishment : ftevertheless, his actions are so 
well regulated, that they become the most proper means of provi- 
ding his subsistence. How could such a slow paced animal as this 
catch his prey so well as by digging in loose sand ; giving a slope to 
his trench, and overwhelming, with showers of sand, the insect that 
happens to fall into it? • All these actions have their fixed prin- 
ciples by which they are directed. His trench must be dug in the 
sand, without which it would not be fit to entrap his prey : he must, 
according to the structure of his body, work backwards, and use his 
horns like tongs, to cast the sand over the brink of his funnel. The 
instinct which directs this structure, shows us a First Cause, whose un- 
erring wisdom has foreseen and ordered every thing necessary to the 
preservation and well-being of such an animaL The dexterity which 
he evidences, is not the fruit of experience and exercise ; it was born 
with him : we must then seek its origin in the wisdom, power, and 
goodness of that Supreme Being, who has proportioned the instinct 
of animals to the different degrees of their wants. 

These reflections are a new motive to induce us to glorify him 
who is the Creator of all. He is the source of life, and he wishes 
to diffuse it every where. He has formed this insect so as to make 
its existence a blessing- to itself. He has furnished it with the neces- 



SEPTEMBER IV. 415 



The ant-lion. 



sary means for the preservation of life ; and by the instinct with 
which he has endued this animal (however limited in other respects) 
he has raised it to a degree of ingenuity approaching to reason : and, 
in some respects, even surpassing it. And what has been his design 
in all this, but only to furnish us with opportunities of knowing him, 
even Vy means of the most despicable creatures? To this purpose 
we should devote this piece of natural history. Every insect, how- 
ever insignificant it may be, should cause us to raise our minds to Him 
who has created the small worm as well as the eler)hant, and who 
extends his care to the one as well as the other. 



SEPTEMBER V* 

CONFORMITY BETWEEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 

It is more difficult than we imagine, to find out the specific differ- 
ence between plants and animals. It is by imperceptible degrees that 
nature descends from animate to inanimate beings : and exactly to 
distinguish these degrees, the penetration of aja archangel would be 
requisite. But, we may remark, that notwithstanding all the differ- 
ences which we observe between those two species of organized bodies, 
there still remains much resemblance. 

The seed is to the plant, what the egg is to the animal. From the 
former springs the stalk, which was before concealed under its coats ; 
and this stalk makes an effort to raise itself out of the earth, in like 
manner, the animal enclosed in the egg, breaks the shell, in order to 
breathe the open air. 

The eye or bud of the tree is the same in the vegetable that the 
embryo is in the animal kingdom. The eye does not pierce through 
the bark, till it be of a proper size ; and it continues attached to it, 
in order to derive nourishment from it, as well as from the fibres of 
the plant. The embryo, at the expiration of a determined time, comes 
from the womb, but could live but a short time, were it not to receive 
nourishment from its mother. 

The plant feeds on nutritive juices, which are brought to it from 
without ; and which passing through various canals, are at Tast 
changed into its substance. The nourishment oi xh.Q animal is effected 
nearly in the same way. It also receives nourishment from without : 
and after having passed through difTerent vessels, it is changed into 
animal substance. 

The fecundation of the germ takes place in the vegetable kingdom, 
when the dust of the stamina penetrates into the pistil: in like 
manner, fecundation takes place among animals, when the seminal li- 
quor penetrates in the ovaries, or matrix. 

The multiplicatio7i of plants is effected, not only by seeds and i7i- 
grafting, but by slips. Animals multiply in like manner, not only by 



416 SEPTE¥1BER V. 



Conformity between plants and aiiimals. 



laying eggs, and bringing forth their young alive, but also by sliys, as 
in the case of the yolypus. 

The diseases of plants h.a.ve either • external or internal causes. It 
is the same with the diseases of animals. 

Lastly, death is the common lot of the one, as well as of the other. 
When old age has indurated and obstructed the vessels, the circula- 
tion of the juices is stopped. 

Plants and animals dwell in the same places : — the surface and in- 
terior parts of the earth ; the air, the sea, and the rivers, are filled 
with plants and animals. Both are extremely numerous : though 
plants are not so numerous as animals. 

The size of the greatest tree is nearly equal to that of the largest 
animal. 

Thus one might be tempted to believe that animals and plants are 
beings of the same class : seeing nature passes from one to the other 
by imperceptible gradations. It is very certain that some general 
and essential resemblances have been found between these two king- 
doms : but the truly essential differences have not as yet been point- 
ed out. And though some should he discovered which have not as 
yet been observed, it will ever remain certain, that nature has diver- 
sified her works by such fine shades, that the human mind can scarce- 
ly distinguish them. And who knows what discoveries may be re- 
served for our posterity? Probably, plants may yet be found out, 
whose properties shall still more nearly resemble those of animal bo- 
dies. And, perhaps, animals may be found out, which more nearly 
resemble vegetables, than even the polype itself. 

Let us make that use of the knowledge we have, for which all the 
truths of nature and revelation were designed. Let us use it to glo- 
rify God, and to strengthen ourselves in virtue. Let the great re- 
semblance which is found between animals and plants, render us sen- 
sible of the power and wisdom of that Being, who has, in some sense, 
impressed the character of infinity on all his works. But, O man, 
learn to be humble. Thou also partakest of the nature of the plant, 
and of that of the animal. To Jesus alone thou art indebted for the 
privilege of being placed between brutes and angels. Endeavour, by 
godliness, to resemble those celestial spirits more and more. And, 
seeing it is granted thee to bear some resemblance to the Creator of 
all things, seek incessantly to be fitted for the kingdom of his glory. 
Think of what thou art ; and think of what thou niayest be. 

" How wonderful is that creature, who, like the brute, derives his 
nourishment from the bosom of the earth ; and, like the angel, raises 
his thoughts to heaven ! A creature, one half of which perishes as 
the brute perishes ; while the other half lives in immortal life ! A 
creature destined to holiness and perfection : to be free, and yet sub- 
ject to God: to praise him for ever, and to be for ever happy !" 



SEPTEMBER VI. 417 



Nature and properties of sound. 



SEPTEMBER VI. 

-» THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF SOUND. . 

All sounds are produced by means of the air : but. in order to this, 
the air must be put in motion : not that the agitation of the air is the 
cause of sound ; for in that case, every wind would be attended with 
a noise. To produce sound, the air must be suddenly compressed, 
that it may afterward dilate and expand itself by its own elastic force. 
By this, a kind of tremulous or undulatory motion takes place, some- 
thing like those waves and concentric circles which take place in 
the water when a stone is cast into it. But if this undulatory motion 
depended only on the particles of air which w^ere compressed, the 
sound, in many cases, could never reach our ears. It is therefore 
neces^sary, that the sonorous body, after having made its impression 
on the contiguous air, should continue the impression from particle to 
particle, in a circular direction, to all parts. 

By means of this propagation, the particles of air reach our ear | 
and we have then the perception of sound. This propagation takes 
place with prodigious velocity: sound goes at the rate of 1142 feet 
in a second. This calculation, which has been verified by a multi- 
tude of experiments, may be very useful in many cases. It contri- 
butes to our safety, by informing us how far the lightning is from us ; 
and consequently, whether we are secure in the place we see the 
flash. We need only count the seconds, or the strokes of our pulse, 
between the lightning and the clap ; and we Can immediately tell at 
what distance the thunder is. By the same means we may calculate 
the distance of places ; and that which separates two vessels. But it 
is very remarkable, that a weak sound is propagated with as much 
celerity as one that is strong. The agitation of the air, is, however, 
more strong when the sound is louder, because a greater mass of air 
IS put in motion. The sound is louder when many particles of air 
are put in motion ; and the contrary when there are but few. 

But, of what use would these observations be, which philosophers 
have made on the nature and properties of sound, if our bodies were 
not so formed that we might have the perception of sound ? Let us 
praise God, who has not only so disposed the air that sound may be 
propagated by means of its vibrations, but has also given us an organ, 
by which we are capable of perceiving those sonorous impressions. 
A thin elastic membrane, stretched on the bottom of the ear, as the 
skin is on the drum, receives the vibrations of the air ; and by this 
we have the power of distinguishing all sorts of sounds. Thus far 
our knowledge reaches. But, if w^e ask, how, when a word is pro- 
nounced, we receive the idea of that word, and not of a simple sound ; 
or how a tone can act upon our mind, and produce in it so many dif- 
ferent ideas ? We are obliged, on all these points, to confess our 
ignorance. It is necessary that this, and every thing else, should con- 
vince us of the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. Were there 

58 



41S SEPTEMBER VI. 



Nature and properties of sound. 



no sound, all men would be dumb ; and we should be as ignorant as 
infants who have not yet the use of speech. But by means of sound, 
each creature may make known its wants, or express its happiness. 

But man has great advantages over other animals. He can express 
the sentiments of his heart ; and excite all the passions by certain 
tones of his voice. God has not only endued us with a power to dis- 
tmguish sounds by the organ of hearing, but has furnished us with 
means to preserve this precious faculty. When one ear is injured, 
the other can supply its lack of service. And he whose hearing is 
weak, may improve it by the acoustic horn. Even when the outer 
auditory pipe is injured, the internal one, which terminates in the 
mouth, may remain unhurt. Farther still ; the Creator has even 
condescended to make this minister to our pleasures : a multitude of 
musical instruments may delight and charm us ; and we are able to 
distinguish their different tones : for the auditory nerve transmits, with 
the utmost fidelity, the tones of an infinite number of sonorous bo- 
dies. With what sentiments of gratitude to our beneficent Creator 
should we be penetrated, when we consider what his kindness has 
done for us ! May we never forget our obligations ! May our thanks- 
giving reach as far as sound extends. May the universe re-echo his 
praises ;. and heaven and earth hear the great things which God has 
done for man ! 



SEPTEMBER VII. 

MYSTERIES OF NATURE. 

When men attempt to investigate things, and to penetrate into the 
causes of those effects which they have seen, they are obliged to ac- 
knowledge how weak and limited their understandings are. The 
knowledge we have of nature, of which we are sometimes so vain^ 
scarcely extends an3r farther than to a superficial acquaintance with 
the effects of a few things which we have constantly before our eyes^ 
and which we are able, in a certain measure, to apply to our advan- 
tage. But, as to knowing the causes of these effects, and how they 
operate, is to us an impenetrable mystery. There are even a thou- 
sand effects in nature, which are concealed from us : and those which 
we can in some measure explain, have a certain obscurity which 
obliges us to remember that we are but men. There are many phe- 
nomena, the immediate causes of which we know not. Several are 
doubtful ; and there are very few that we know with certainty. 

We hear the vjind blow ; we experience its great and various 
effects ; but we do not exactly know what produces it, what increases 
it, and what abates its violence. 

From a small seed we see a ylant spring with stalks and ears ; and 
we know not how this is efiected. As little can we comprehend how 



SEPTEMBER VII. 419 



Mysteries of nature. 



a plant can spring from a small kernel, which increases to a large tree, 
in the branches of which the fowls of the air may build their nests : 
which clothes itself with leaves and blossoms, to shade and please us, 
and brings forth fruit for our nourishment ; and affords us wood for 
many necessary uses. — All the aliments we use, which are so very 
different in their nature, are transformed within us by an incompre- 
hensible mechanism : and assimilated to our blood, and to our flesh. 
We see the wonderful effects of the loads to7ie ; and we believe there 
must be a certain matter which operates in it : but whether it acts by 
an attracting force peculiar to itself ; or whether the magnetic influ- 
ence circulate about the stone j or whether it form a sort of vortex, 
we cannot determine. 

We feel the cold; but no naturalist has been as yet able to disco- 
ver how it is produced. — We know more of thunder and lightning than 
our ancestors did; but what the nature of that electric matter is, 
which in thunder storms is so terrible, no man knows. — We know 
that the eye sees the images which are painted on the retina; that the 
ear has the preception of sound by the vibrations of the air ; but 
what are perceptions, and how are they formed ? — We have a cotjvic- 
tion of the existence of the soul in the body ; but who can explain 
the union of the body and soul and their mutual influence on each 
other? The effects oi fire and cir are continually before us : but, 
who can tell what their nature is, what are their elementary parts, 
and how they produce their different effects ? In a word, in respect 
to most things we have no fixed and incontestable principles, and are 
reduced to take refuge in probalility and conjecture. What are all 
the hypotheses of philosophers, but tacit confessions of their limited 
knowledge ? At every step, nature presents as with wonders which 
confound us ; and, notwithstanding all our discoveries, a thousand 
things remain which we cannot comprehend. It happens, sometimes, 
it is true, that we can give happy explications of certain phenomena ; 
but the principles, the first springs, their nature, and mode of ope- 
ration, are certainly far exalted above the sphere of our under- 
standing. 

The mysteries of nature give us daily lessons of wisdom on the 
subject of the mysteries of revelation. In nature, God has placed 
within our reach the means by which we may go through life com- 
fortably, though he has placed their causes out of our sight. It is the 
same in the kingdom of grace : he affords us means to arrive at a 
spiritual and eternal life ; although the manner in which they operate 
is concealed from us. Is there a person w^ho would refuse to eat 
and drink, till he could comprehend how food increases strength and 
preserves life ? Is there a man to be found, who would neither sow 
nor plant, till he could comprehend the nature of vegetation? Is 
there any one who would refuse to make use of luool, till he could 
tell how it is formed ? Man does not push his extravagance so far. 
On the contrary, he observes the productions of nature ; experience 



420 SEPTEMBER VII. 



Mysteries of nature. 



tells him their utility, and he enjoys thena with gratitude to his Ma- 
ker. But, why do not men conduct themselves so in respect to the 
mysteries of grace? Men dispute about the nature of the means of 
salvation ; their efficacy, and their mode of operation ; and they ne- 
glect that saving use of them which God intended. O why are we 
not as wise in things spiritual as in things temporal ! Instead of giving 
way to vain and useless speculations, let us avail ourselves of those 
means of grace which God affords us, and make a faithful use of them ! 
For this end they were granted us, and not for subjects of curious 
speculation, concerning their nature and manner of operation. If we 
find things which we cannot fathom or comprehend, let us receive them 
Avith humility, and acknowledge the weakness of our understanding. 
The advantage which we shall derive from a faithful use of them, 
will be sufficient to convince us that they are the work of a Being in- 
finitely wise, and infinitely beneficent. 

God forbid that we should be so presumptuous, as to flatter ourselves 
with the hope of being able to fathom either the mysteries of the king- 
dom of nature, or those of the empire of grace ! Let us not dare to 
criticise, or blame, what we cannot comprehend. Let us rather ac- 
knowledge the weakness of our understanding ; and the infinite great- 
ness of God. Then each mystery will excite us to adore that infinite 
Being, whose works are marvellous, and whose ways are past finding 
out: 



SEPTEMBER VIII. 

THE EYES OF ANIBIALS. 

The bare consideration of the eyes of different kinds of animals, is 
sufficient to convince any person of the wisdom with which God has 
formed the bodies of his creatures. He has not given the sense of 
sight to each in the same way : but has diversified the organs of it so 
as to adapt them in the best way to different kinds of animals. Deep 
reflection on this subject will afford us one of the noblest pleasures of 
which the human mind is capable. 

The eyes of most animals appear round : but in this spherical 
figure there is great variety. Their situation in the head, near the 
brain, the most sensible part of the system, is subject to many differ- 
ences also. Man, and most quadrupeds, have 5^2; muscles attached to 
each eye, by which they can move it from side to side. The posi- 
tion of the eye is such, that they see straight before them : and de- 
scribe nearly a semicircle. But even in this there is a diversity. 
Horses, oxen, sheep, sivine, and most quadrupeds, have a seventh mus- 
cle, to suspend and support the eye-ball, which is highly necessary 
for them, because their head and eyes hang towards the earth, while 
seeking their food. 

The eyes of frogs differ from ours ; as they can cover theirs with 
a raembrane, which is transparent, though of a sufficiently close tex- 



SEPTEMBER VIII. 421 



Eyes of animals. 



ture. This defends their eyes, and guards them from those dajigers 
to which animals, in their way of life, are exposed, by living some- 
times on the land, and sometimes under water. Flies, gnats, and 
similar insects, have more perfect sight than other creatures. They 
have nearly as many eyes as they have apertures in their cornea : 
whereas other animals, which have but two eyes, are obliged to turn 
them by means of muscles, towards the objects : Jiies can see them 
distinctly on all sides, without interruption, and without the trouble 
of turning their eyes ; because one or other of these little eyes is 
from its nature, always directed towards some one of the objects 
which surround them. Fish, which live in a denser element than 
ours, could see nothing, and by the strong refraction of the rays of 
light would be blinded, though their eyes are continually open and 
well formed, were not the chrystalline humour almost spherical, in 
order the better to collect the rays of light. They have no eyelids, 
and they cannot draw back their eyes ; but their cornea, which is 
almost as hard as a horn, preserves them from all danger. Formerly, 
the mole was supposed to be blind, but it is certain that it has little 
black eyes, about as large as the head of a pin. As this animal is 
almost always under ground, it was necessary that his eyes should be 
very small, sunk in the head, and covered vi'ith hair. 

We know that the eyes of snails are placed on the tops of their 
two long horns, and that they can draw them into their heads, or 
push them out, to discover distant objects. In those animals which 
can neither move their heads nor eyes, this defect is compensated, 
either by the number of eyes, or by some other means. The spider 
has four, six, and sometimes eight eyes ; all placed in front of a 
round head, without any neck. They are clear and transparent, like 
a bracelet garnished with diamonds. According to the way and life, 
and different wants of several kinds of spiders, their eyes are distri- 
buted differently in their heads, that they may see on all sides ; and 
without moving their head, may at once discover the flies destined to 
be their food. 

The cameleon (a species of lizard) has the singular property of 
moving one of its eyes while the other stands still : of turning one eye 
up, and the other down ; and of seeing what happens both before and 
behind it at the same time. Some birds have the same power: so 
also have hares and rabbits, whose eyes are very convex : this pre- 
serves them from many dangers, and enables them to discover their 
food with less difficulty. 

All these examples (and they might be easily multiplied) show 
very plainly the tender care of the Creator for the preser^^ation of 
the organs of the most necessary senses. He has been pleased to 
communicate the blessing of sight to his creatures in a variety of 
ways ; and we cannot but be struck with astonishment, when we con- 
sider the admirable art observed throughout; and the precautions 
which he has taken to keep his creatures in possession of this valu- 
able gift ; and to preserve it from the dangers to which it might be 



422 SEPTEMBER VIII. 



Eyes of animals. 



exposed. All parts of the bodies of animals are disposed in the 
most exact proportion, and in the most suitable manner to their diffe- 
rent necessities ; and the accomplishment of the ends for Avhich they 
were designed. The situation of the eyes ; their arrangement, their 
number, and their form, could not have been otherwise in any animal 
without great inconvenience. For, it was not merely for ornament, 
but for the advantage of animals, that the Creator has so varied the 
structure and position of their eyes. And, undoubtedly, one of his 
designs was, that we might learn to acknowledge and celebrate his 
wisdom in all things. Let the foregoing reflections be applied in this 
way : and when we seriously consider the wise ends which God has 
proposed in all his works, we shall be excited to magnify his power 
and goodness. 



SEPTEMBER IX. 

FISH. 

Who would have ever thought that there were such creatures as 
fish, if he had not seen them ? If a naturalist only knew those animals 
which walk and breathe on the land like the rein-deer, and were told 
that there were a species of creatures in the water, so formed, that 
they could live, move, propagate, and fulfil all animal functions with 
facility and pleasure in that element ; would he not treat the infor- 
mation, as a vision ; and conclude, from what happens to our bodies, 
when immersed in water, that it would be impossible for any creature 
to live in that element ? 

The way in which fish live ; their make, motion, and the propa- 
gation of their species, are all very wonderful, and afford fresh 
proofs of the omnipotence and infinite wisdom of our Sovereign 
Creator. That these creatures might be able to live in the water, it 
was necessary that their bodies should be differently constructed, as 
to their essential parts, from those of terrestrial animals : and we ac- 
cordingly find this to be the case, on an examination of the external 
and internal structure of the bodies of fish. Why has the Creator 
given to most fish a tapering body, slender, flat on the sides, and 
always pointed at the head, but that they might the more easily swim, 
and cut their way through the water? Why are they covered with 
scales of a horny substance, but that their bodies might sustain no in- 
jury by the pressure of the waters ? Why are many fish, especially 
those that are destitute of scales, or which have only very soft ones, 
enveloped in a fat oily covering, but to preserve their tender sub- 
stance from injury, and to keep them in a due degree of warmth? 
Why have they such cartilaginous and porous bones, but that their 
bodies may be more light and flexible ? Why have all fish their eyes 
sunk into their heads, and why- is their crystalline humour spherical, 
but that they may not be so easily injured, and that the rays of light 



SEPTEMBER .X. 423 



Fish. 



may be better concentrated ? It is evident, that in the arrangement 
of all these parts, the Creator has had respect to the mode of life 
and destination of these animals. 

But there are other circumstances equally admirable in the struc- 
ture offish. The Jins are almost their only limbs, yet they are suf- 
ficient for all their motions. By means of the tail fins they move for- 
ward. The lack fin directs the motion of their body; and they raise 
themselves by the breast fin, while the belly fin serves to hold them in 
equilibrio. The gills are their organs of respiration ; they are situ- 
ated behind the head : there are four on each side., the uppermost of 
which are the largest. They take in water continually by their mouths, 
which is their inspiration ; they throw it out at their gills, which is 
their expiration. The blood w^hich proceeds from the heart, and 
which is distributed through the veins of the gills, does not return 
through the lungs to the heart, as in terrestrial animals, but is 
directly dispersed through all parts of the body. One of the organs 
most necessary to fish in swimming, is the air-bladder, which is inclu- 
ded in their belly, and communicates with their stomach. By means 
of this bladder they can make their bodies lighter or heavier, as they 
please. As soon as this vessel is inflated they become lighter, ascend, 
and can swim near the surface of the water : but when it is con- 
tracted, and the air compressed, their body becomes heavier, and 
they sink in the water. When this bladder is pricked with a pin, the 
fish falls immediately to the bottom, and cannot raise itself up to the 
surface again. 

What further merits our attention is, the prodigious number offish ; 
as also the great variety in their shape and size. In Germany alone 
there are more than 400 different kinds of fish. And who can count 
the number in each species ? Their external form is also greatly va- 
ried. Among fish we find the very largest, as also the smallest of 
animals. Some are long, and as fine as a thread : others are short 
and broad : others are flat, cylindrical, triangular, round, &c. There 
are some which are armed with a horn : others with a species of 
sword : and others with a kind of saw. Some have nostrils through 
which they forcibly eject the superfluous water they have swallowed. 
Which are we most to admire in all this ? The power and wisdom 
of the Creator in the formation and preservation of these animals, 
or his goodness in giving them for our use? Every thing must lead 
the attentive observer of the works of God to magnify his name. 
What magnificence does God manifest in all the elements, and in all 
animals, whether they inhabit the air, the earth, or the sea ? In the 
whale, whose back is an island in the midst of the waters ; and in the 
gold fish, which glitters in the rivulets. And in all this how great is 
his goodness toward us. Of how many nutritive dishes should we be 
deprived, if those extensive plains, on which neither trees nor fruit 
grow, were not peopled with creatures as prolific* as they are deli- 
cious ; and which amply satisfy our wants. 



424 SEPTEMBER X. 



Propagation of animals. 



SEPTEMBER X. 

THE PROPAGATION OF ANIMALS. 

Formerly it was supposed that insects, vermin, and even some 
quadrupeds, were generated from corruption, without the interposi- 
tion of animals of the same species. But this hypothesis, which is 
manifestly opposite to reason, is contradicted also by the most deci- 
sive experiments. It is now well known, that all animals can pro- 
duce their like ; and that this propagation is generally eifected in 
two ways : first, by laying eggs ; secondly, by bringing forth the 
young alive. All the class of mammalia, or animals which give milk, 
are viviparous. All birds are oviparous : but their eggs must be im- 
pregnated by the male before they are capable of producing young. 
In most animals, it is essentially necessary that the female should re- 
ceive the seminal fluid by junction with the male. Fish alone seem 
to be an exception to this rule. That they couple, has not yet been 
discovered: the males cast their liquor, which is either swallowed 
by the female, or falling on the eggs which she has deposited in the 
water, impregnates them. 

Fish are the most prolific of all animals. When we think of so 
many millions of herrings, which are caught annually, we may be 
surprised that any should still remain. But the multiplication offish 
is prodigious. It has been found, for instance, that the pike lays, 
300,000 eggs ; the carp above 200,000, and mackarel near half a 
million ! The eel is viviparous. Most amphibious animals couple 
like others. Some, however, cast the seminal liquor like fish. Some 
are viviparous, others are oviparous; but the latter do not hatch 
their eggs, they leave them to the warmth of the air, or to that of the 
water ; and sometimes they deposite them in heaps of dung. 

Worms are viviparous, and oviparous. In their generation there 
are many singular circumstances. The greater part, if not the 
whole, are hermaphrodites ; and they can impregnate themselves, or 
mutually impregnate each other. 

The distinction of sex is very evident in most insects : there are 
some, however, that have no sex ; and others in which the two sexes 
are united in the same animal. Insects are in general oviparous ; 
but there are some who bring forth their young alive. The eggs of 
the former are hatched by the warmth of the air : but in this class of 
animals a singular circumstance takes place, which at first sight might 
indicate that the male and female never copulate. The insect called 
the leaflouse, or blight, is commonly viviparous. An insect of this 
class, taken at the moment of its birth, separated from all of the same 
species, and shut up in the most perfect solitude, will, nevertheless, 
produce young ones. This takes place as follows. In the spring, 
i^nd during the summer, the females of this species bring forth their 
young without previous union v/ith the male. Then they are vivipa- 
rous. A single one may produce a hundred little ones in less than 



SEPTEMBER X, 425 



Propagation of animals. 



three lueeks. All that are born in this season are females ; ihe males 
come about autumn. Then they couple and the females lay eggs, and 
thus cease to be viviparous. These eggs are hatched in the spring. 
Thus one junction of male and female serves, at least for ten consecu- 
tive generations, the individuals of which are impregnated with their 
mother's eggs ! 

When we reflect on this variety in the propagation of animals, we 
cannot but be struck with the wonders of the power and wisdom of 
God. The instinct which induces the two sexes to unite is admirable. 
This natural propensity is not produced by any external circumstance. 
It is manifested with as much energy in animals which live alone, as 
in those which are gregarious. The wisdom of the Creator is further 
evident in this, that generally the females have their set time of bring- 
ing forth their young. Wolves and foxes go to rutting in January ? 
horses in summer : stags in September and October. Insects couple in 
autumn ; birds, and mostjish in spring : the roe-buck and doe, in Sep- 
tember ; cats in January. May, and September. If the coupling of 
animals did not take place at fixed times, the generations would be con- 
founded, and the race itself would be injured. 

Is it not astonishing, that while they enjoy their natural liberty, they 
do not mix in such a manner as to confound the different species, or 
cause the original genus to become extinct ! Who can help admiring 
how exactly the organs of generation, in animals of the same species, 
are suited to each other, and not at all adapted to creatures of a differ- 
ent order ; but exactly calculated to accomplish that multitude of par- 
ticular ends, which all unite in one grand general purpose, viz. the 
constant preservation and multiplication of every species of animals. 

How blind must those men be, who, in all this, will not acknow- 
ledge the wisdom of God : but ascribe the whole to chance ? Hoping 
that the reader does not belong to this class of men, he is invi- 
ted to contemplate the Divine wisdom, so evidently manifested in the 
propagation of animals. These meditations may not only be pleasing 
in themselves ; but also furnish us with motives to love that God 
who, for the good of the world, and the benefit of man, has provided, 
with so much wisdom, for the preservation and multiplication of 
animals. 



SEPTEMBER XI. 

THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIOON ON THE HUMAN BODY. 

Formerly certain influences were ascribed to the moon which 
were well calculated to nourish superstition, and excite groundless 
fears. The gardener would not plant till he had made observations 
on the moon. The husbandman deferred sowing till he was well 
assured of the happy influence of this planet. Sick people attended 

54 



426 SEPTEMBER XL 



Influence of the moon on the human body. 



with the most scrupulous exactness, to the variations of the moon ; 
and physicians themselves paid attention to these in all their pre- 
scriptions. These prejudices, however, have lost ground by de- 
grees ; at least it is certain, that the empire of superstition, relative 
to the influences of the moon, is not so universal as it was formerly. 
This is one of the many advantages, the present age has over the 
past : an advantage too little considered, and which merits our warm- 
est gratitude to God. It is the duty of every person to render this 
still more extensive ; and to labour as much as possible, to extirpate 
ancient superstitions. 

With regard to the effects of the moon upon our bodies, it is best 
to preserve a just medium; for, as it would be unreasonable to attri- 
bute to that planet too great an influence over the human body, it 
would be no less rash to deny it any. It must be allowed that the 
moon occasions great changes in the air ; and consequently, may pro- 
duce several alterations in the state of our bodies. The moon may 
cause considerable emotions and alterations in the superior parts of 
the atmosphere ; so as to occasion earthquakes, winds, heat, cold, 
exhalations, mists, &c., and, on this account, the health of our bodies 
may greatly depend on the influence of the moon. It is observed, 
that people w^ho have certain infirmities, feel accrbations, and more 
acute pains at the change and/z^ZZ of the moon. And this is not to be 
wondered at ; for it is true, that cold and damp air, foggy and stormy 
weather, have a different effect on our health, from a warm., dry, 
pure, and serene air ; the moon must have considerable influence 
over the animal economy, seeing she produces such alterations in the 
temperature of the air. The action of this planet on the human body, 
is founded on a principle that cannot be contested : it is this. That 
our health depends, in a great measure, on the state of the weather, 
and the constitution of the air we breathe : and no person can deny, 
that the moon may cause many derangements in the atmosphere. Pos- 
sibly there may be in the human body a flux and reflux occasioned by 
the m.oon, analogous to that which she produces in the sea. Why do 
most periodical diseases return at the end of four w^eeks, rather than 
at a longer or shorter period, if they have no relation to the influences 
of the moon on the human body? 

In general, it is a principle which we ought to admit, to the glory 
of our wise Creator, that in all natural things, there are certain rela- 
tions which influence the animal economy, in a variety of ways. 
There are, doubtless, various wonders in the atmosphere which are 
still unknown to us, and which occasion many important revolutions 
in nature. Who knows but many phenomena of the corporeal world, 
which we either think nothing of, or attribute to some other cause, de- 
pend on the moon ? Possibly the light with which she favours us du- 
ring the night, is one of the least of the purposes for which God formed 
this planet. Perhaps her being placed near the earth, was to produce 
on it certain effects which the other planets could not do, be- 
cause of their distance. At least it is certain, that every thing in our 



SEPTEMBER XI. 427 



Influence of the moon on the human body 



system stands in some kind of relation to our globe. And it is this 
particularly v/hich shows the world to be such a master-piece of the 
Divine wisdom. The beauty of the universe consists in the diversity 
and harmony of its component parts; in the number, nature, and va- 
riety of their effects ; and in the sum of good which is the result of 
all these combinations. 

How then can the influence of the moon and stars create supersti- 
tious ideas and fears in our hearts ? If we believe that God has plan- 
ned the whole ; that he has established the connexions which subsist 
between all the globes, how can we indulge vain terrors, which are 
so contrary to the ideas we should form of the Divine wisdom ? If 
we be truly persuaded that this Supreme Being governs all things 
with infinite wisdom and goodness, is it not natural that we should 
trust in him, and confide with tranfj[uillity and joy in his good provi- 
dence ? 



SEPTEMBER XII. 

THE IGNIS FATUUS. 

The ignis fatuus vulgarly called will-with-the-wisp, or jacJc-a-laU' 
them, is a little flame which skips about in the air, a few feet from 
the ground : and which appears to go hither and thither at random. 
This fire seems to disappear and go out suddenly ; probably when 
brakes and bushes hide it from the sight; but it is soon rekindled in 
other places. Such fires are seldom to be seen in cold countries: 
and we are assured, that in winter they are only to be seen in marshy 
places. In Spain, Italy, and other warm countries, they are met with 
in all the seasons ; and are neither extinguished by wind nor rain. 
They are seen most frequently where there are putrified plants, and 
animal substances : as in churchyards, common sewers, and in fat and 
marshy ground. 

Too few experiments have been made on these serial fires to de- 
termine with any precision on their nature. But the places where 
they are seen, may lead us to very probable conjectures. For as they 
almost always appear in marshy countries, it is natural to suppose 
that they are ignited sulphureous exhalations. It is well known that 
dead carcasses, and rotten plants, sometimes emit light. Probably the 
ignis fatuus is nothing else than exhalations, condensed by the cold 
of the night : or is owing to a weak kind of electricity, produced by 
the inward motion of the exhalations, which float in the air. Horses, 
dogs, cats, and even men, may become electric, and emit sparks, when 
they are rubbed, or put in motion in a particular way. May not the 
same thing happen to certain places of the earth ? It may so hap- 
pen that a field through particular circumstances, may be electrified 
in some parts ; and then it is not astonishing that it should become 
luminous. The air itself may produce the ignis fatuus^ when it is 
electrified to a degree. 



428 SEPTEMBER XII. 



The ignis fatuus. 



If the manner in which these serial fires are produced be still un- 
certain, it is at least indisputable that they are effects of natural 
causes ; and consequently, we need not have recourse to superstition. 
Superstitious people look on these flames with so much terror, that 
few have courage enough to approach them. Many believe them 
to be departed souls, or malignant spirits which wander about, and 
which take pleasure in leading travellers astray during the night. 
What may have given rise to this superstitious notion is, that the 
ignis fatuus follows B.]\ the motions of the air; and thus it seems to 
fiy from those who pursue ; and, on the contrary, follows those who 
run from, and wish to escape it ; and sometimes sticks to coaches, &c. 
which drive swiftly. But, the reason of these phenomena is very 
evident, for the person who runs after one of these fires, drives the 
air before him and consequently the fire, which follows all its mo- 
tions ; whereas the person who flies leaves an empty space, which 
the surrounding air incessantly rushing in to supply, a current is 
formed which has its direction from the fire to the person who runs, 
and this necessarily leads on this light flame. This also is the reason 
why the fire stops when the person ceases to run ; because the mo- 
tion of the air then ceases. 

How many persons torment themselves with vain alarms, which 
have no other ground than a disordered imagination ! We might 
save ourselves from many fears if we would take a little more trouble 
to examine the objects of our terror, and search out their natural 
causes. Nearly the same things happen to us in a moral sense. 
With what ardour do men pursue the goods of fortune, without ex- 
amining v/hether they deserve this anxiety, or can afford us the 
happiness we expect from them. 

Most ambitious and covetous people are as unsuccessful in the 
pursuit of honours and riches as Robert Flood, who used to run after 
the ignis fatuus without ever being able to catch it. What do we gain 
in the end by the continual efforts we make to acquire those goods, 
which, both in their nature and duration, so exactly resemble the ig?iis 
fatuus ? Commonly terrestrial good flies away from him who pursues 
it, and falls to the lot of those who wish to avoid it. 



SEPTEMBER XIII. 

THE MINERAL KINGDOM. 

In order to procure wholesome and convenient dwellings, men re- 
quire many materials. If these materials had been scattered over 
the face of the earth, it must have been covered with them : and no 
room would have been left for animals and plants. Our earth is 
happily free from such encumbrance. Its surface has been left open, 
and it may be cultivated, and traversed by its inhabitants, without any 
hinderance. Metals, stones, and a hundred other matters, which we 



SEPTEMBER XIII. 429 



The mineral kingdom. 



continually use, are shut up under our feet in immense cellars, where 
we find them whenever \ve want them. These matters are not hid- 
den in the centre of the earth, nor at any inaccessible depth, but are 
purposely brought near the surface, and placed under a vault, which 
is at once thick enough to produce sufficient nourishment for men and 
animals, and thin enough to be easily dug through, when we need to go 
down and bring up some of the innumerable articles deposited in this 
vast magazine. 

All the substances in the mineral kingdom may be divided vaKo four 
classes; each of which has its distinguishing characteristic. ^h.e first 
includes earths. This name is given to those bodies which cannot be 
dissolved either hj fire, or in oil, which are not malleable, and which 
stand the action of fire without losing any of their substance. To this 
class belong, not only the simple earths, but also stones, which are com- 
posed of these earths. There are two kinds of stones, the precious and 
the common. The latter are the most numerous, and present themselves 
to us in masses, different in form, size, colour, and hardness, accord- 
ing to the earths, sulphurs, &c., of which they are composed. Pre- 
cious stones are also in great variety. Some are perfectly transparent, 
and appear to be the most simple. Others are more or less opaque, 
according as they are composed more or less of heterogeneous 
particles. 

Salts form the second class in the mineral kingdom. They include 
those bodies which are soluble in water, and which leave a relish on. 
the tongue. Some melt in the fire ; and others remain in it unalter- 
ed. They are divided into acids, which are sharp and sour ; and 
alkalies, which leave on the tongue a bitter, burning, and lixivial taste. 
These have the property of changing all blue vegetable liquors into 
green. From an exact and proper mixture of these two salts with 
each other, neutral salts are produced. Among these the common, 
or kitchen salt is reckoned, which is either extracted from the earth, 
or prepared with sea-water ; or obtained by the evaporation of 
brackish fountain water, in large cauldrons over a fire. All these 
salts are one of the principal causes of vegetation. They also serve 
probably to unite and strengthen the parts of plants, as well as of 
other compound bodies. Finally, they produce fermentations; the 
effects of which are very different and numerous. 

The third class of the mineral kingdom, comprehends inflummahle 
bodies ; to which the general name of bitumens has been given. They 
burn in the fire ; and when they are pure they dissolve in oils, but 
never in water. These bodies are distinguished from other minerals, 
by containing more of that inflammable quality which renders those 
substances combustible, where they are found in sufficient quantity. 
There is less or more of this substance in almost all bodies. 

The fourth class of the mineral kingdom contains metals. These 
are bodies much heavier than the others ; they become fluid in the 
fire, but resume their solidity when cold. They are bright and mal- 
leable. Among metals some are found which, when melted, suffer no 



430 SEPTEMBER XIII. 



Tlie mineral kingdom. 



dimmution of weight, nor any other sensible alteration ; these are 
termed perfext metals. Of this sort there ar« three, gold, silver, and 
platina. The other metals which are called imperfect, are destroyed 
more or less speedily, by the action of the fire, and commonly change 
into a calx. One of them, lead, has the property of being converted, 
into glass ; and of vitrifying all the other metals, gold and silver ex- 
cepted. The imyerfect metals 0.10 Jive in number, viz. quicksilver, 
lead, copper, iron, and tin. But there are other bodies which are 
distinguished from metals, not being ductile, nor malleable ; these are 
called semi'inetals, and are nine in number, viz. ars-enic, molybdena, 
tungstein, manganese, nickel, cobalt, bismuth, antimony, and zinc. It is 
necessary, however, to remark, that to the above list of nine, lately are 
added four new semi-metals, uranite, sylvanite, titanite, and mena.- 
cha7iite. 

The whole mineral kingdom is the workshop of nature, where 
she labours in secret for the benefit of the world. No naturalist has 
yet been able to surprise her in any of her operations, and steal from 
her the art with which she assembles, prepares, and composes her 
salts, earths, bitumens, and metals. If we cannot guess how nature 
employs the substances which are daily produced ; it is not less dif- 
ficult to discover how the parts associate, combine, attenuate, and 
finally form the different bodies which the mineral kingdom presents 
us. We have but a very imperfect knowledge of the surface of the 
earth ; and we are still less acquainted with the interior parts. The 
deepest mines are not more than about 630 fathoms, which is not the 
six thousandth part of the earth's semi-diameter. This alone is suf- 
ficient to show how impossible it is to have an exact and perfect 
knowledge of nature, and the formation of the different substances in 
the mineral kingdom. Happily, in the use which we make of the 
gifts of nature, it is of little consequence whether we exactly know 
their origin and first principles or not. It is enough that we have the 
knowledge necessary to apply them to our use. We know enough to 
glorify our Creator; seeing we are convinced that there is not a 
point, either on or under the earth's surface, where his power, wis- 
dom, and goodness, are not particularly manifested 



SEPTEMBER XIV. 

SOME OF THE rRINCIPAL EXOTIC PLANTS. 

We do not pay sufficient attention to the gifts of God, and particu- 
larly to those which come to us from distant countries, and which 
are now become so necessary. If we consider what trouble it costs, 
what wheels so to speak, must be put in motion in the great machine 
of the world, and how much strength and industry it requires to pro- 
vide us a little sugar or cinnamon ; we should not receive the gifts of 
God with such indifference as we generally do ; but, on the contrary^ 



SEPTEMBER XIV. 431 



Some of the principal exotic plants. 



we should look up to the Supreme Being with gratitude, who uses so 
many means to convey his blessings to us. At present let us consider 
those foreign productions, which are become necessaries of life, and 
which would be so difficult for us to dispense with. Perhaps some 
useful reflections may arise from this; and we may think, at least, 
with concern of our ill-fated brethren, the miserable slaves, whose 
severe labour procures so many luxuries for us. 

Sugar is properly the salt w^hich is found in the juices or marrow, 
of a certain reed, which is cultivated principally in Brazil, and in the 
neighbouring islands ; but which is also found in abundance in the 
East Indies, and in some of the African islands. The preparation of 
sugar does not require much art ; but it is extremely laborious, and 
it is slaves alone who are generally employed in this painful business. 
When the canes are ripe, they are cut and carried to the mill to be 
bruised, that the juice may be extracted from them. The juice is 
first boiled, without which, it would ferment and grow sour. While 
it is boiling, they scum it to take off any dirt; and this boiling is re- 
peated four times, in four different cauldrons. To purify and clarify 
it still more, ihey throw into it a strong lye of wood ashes, and quick- 
lime : finally, they cast it into moulds that it may coagulate and dry. 

Tea is only the leaf of a shrub which growns in Jayan, China, and 
other Asiatic countries. These leaves are gathered three or four 
times during the spring. Those of the first gathering are the finest 
and most delicate. This is what is termed imperial tea ; but it never 
comes into Europe. That w^hich the Dutch sell under this name, is 
only of the second gathering. 

Cofee is the kernal of a fruit similar to a cherry. The tree which 
bears it is a native of Arahia ; but it has been transplanted into many 
warm countries. Next to Arabia, the best place for its cultivation is 
the island of Martimqitc. The kernel which is found in the midst of 
the fruit, we call berry ; when fresh it is yellowish, or gray, or of 
a pale green : and it preserves this colour pretty well when dry. 
The fruit is spread on mats, that it may be dried in the sun; and it 
is afterward bruised with rollers to separate the kernels from the 
fruit; hence it is that each berry, or kernel, is divided into two. 
The kernels are once more dried in the sun before they are put on 
shipboard. 

Cloces are the buds, or dried blossoms of a tree, which formerly 
grew without culture in the Molucca islands; but the Dutch have 
transplanted ii to Amhoyna. This tree is the form and size of the 
laurel. Its trunk is covered \vith bark like that of the olive. White 
flowers grow in bunches at the end of the branches, which have the 
appearance of naih. The buds are at first of a pale green, after- 
ward they become yellow, then red, and lastly of a black brown, 
such as we see them. They have a more penetrating and aromatic 
smell than the mother docc, a name which distinguishes the dry fruit 
ol the tree. 



432 SEPTEMBER XIV. 



Some of tlie principal exotic plants. 



Cinnamon is the second, or inner bark, of a species of bay-tree, 
and which at present grows almost no where but in the island of Cey^ 
Ion. The root of the cinnamon-tree is divided into many branches, 
and covered externally with a grayish bark, but with a red bark 
within. The leaf would bear a very near resemblance to that of 
the laurel, were it a little shorter and more pointed. The blossoms 
are white and small, of a very agreeable smell, like that of the may' 
jioioer. When the tree is some years old, they separate the two 
barks : the outer bark being good for nothing, is thrown away. The 
inward bark is dried in the sun, and rolls itself up about the size of 
a finger, and this is what we call cinnamo7i. 

Nutmegs and mace are the produce of a tree which grows in the 
Molucca islands. The nut is covered with three rinds ; the first falls 
of itself when the nut is ripe ; the second then appears, which is 
very thin and fine : it is taken off the fresh nut with a great deal of 
care, and exposed to the sun to dry. This is called 7nacis in the ikZb- 
lucca islands; and is here improperly termed the nutmeg-hlossom. 
The third bark is the inner coat of the nutmeg. The nut is taken 
out of its shell, and put in lime-water, in which it remains for some 
days ; by which time it is well prepared, and fit to be sent abroad. 

Cotton grows in most parts of Asia^ Africa^ and America. It is 
the fruit of a sort of pod, which opens when ripe, and presents a wad 
or lump of down extremely white. This is called cotton. When 
this wad swells with the heat, it becomes as large as an apple. With 
a little mill they cause the seed to fall on one side, and the cotton on 
the other. It is afterward spun for all kinds of work. 

Olive oil is the expressed juice of the fruit of the olive-tree : whole 
forests of which may be seen in France, Syain, Portugal, and Italy. 
The inhabitants of the provinces where these trees abound, make 
use of the oil instead of butter, as they have very few cows; the 
extreme warmth of the earth preventing the growth of grass. 

Pepper is the fruit of a shrub, the stem of which requires a prop 
to support it. The wood of it is knotty, like the vine, to which it 
bears a near resemblance. Its leaves, which have a very strong 
smell, are oval, and terminate in a point. In the middle, and at the 
extremity of the branches, there are white flowers, whence the fruit 
grows in bunches similar to gooseberries ; each fruit bears twenty or 
thirty pepper-corns. 

It is not a little satisfaction to a reflecting mind, to think of the 
great number of aliments designed, not only to suppiy our necessi- 
ties, but also to please our palate. Let us consider those blessings 
which the Divine bounty grants us in such abundance. Every coun- 
try contributes to furnish us with the necessaries and conveniencies of 
life. The inhabitants of the most remote climates labour for us : 
the miserable slave, who deserves as well as we to eat in peace and 
quietness the fruit of his labours, prepares, at the expense of his 
sv/eat and ease, those luxuries which we consume with so much pro- 



SEPTEMBER XIV. 433 



Some of the principle exotic plants. 



fusion. If we do not think of our heavenly Benefactor, let us think 
at least of the instruments which he uses to procure us a part of our 
subsistence. But how can we forget that God, who furnishes our table 
from all parts, and shows his goodness towards us from every quarter 
of the globe ? 



SEPTEMBER XV. 

REFLECTIONS ON ONE's SELF. 

I LIVE : my blood circulates (without any concern of mine) through 
arteries and veins, arranged and protected with wonderful art. I can 
enjoy the sweets of sleep. : and in a state in which I am ignorant of 
myself, in this body, which appears without motion or life, my soul 
still exists ! I awake ; my senses resume their functions, and my soul 
receives clearer and more lively ideas. I eat, I drink ; and, surrounded 
on all hands with the beauties and riches of nature, I feel a thousand 
pleasing sensations. Am / the cause of these effects ? Did I give my 
first principles, the first rudiments of my body, this wonderful motion, 
when I was plunged in the night of nothing, and when I knew not 
what night was ! Did /form the many different parts of my body ; 7, who 
even at present neither know their arrangement, nor combinations ? 
Was I more knowing, more expert, when I had no existence ? or did 
my existence precede that of my thinking principle ? How is it that 
I cannot determine the point, which separates sleep from waking? 
What is the mechanism of my stomach, which digests food without my 
command, and without the smallest co-operation on my part: and how 
is it that this digestion is effected ? How is it that all the creatures 
of the same species are formed as I am ; and why am I not formed in 
some other way ? Is it I, who have created all the beauties of nature, 
or have they produced themselves ? What makes me susceptible of 
pleasure and pain ? Who causes bread and water to spring up from 
the earth, that my body may not pine away ; that the motion of my 
limbs may not be stopped ? 

Who causes the rays of light to fall on my eyes, that I may not be 
encompassed with perpetual darkness ? Whence proceed the bless- 
ings which I experience ; the pain and grief of which I am sensible ? 
Why am I not always happy ? And why have I been so cruel to my- 
self, as to form myself with so many imperfections ? Does every 
thing proceed from me ? Have I a sufficiency of power and activity 
for this? And are my fellow-creatures which I have seen, do see, 
and may yet see, endued with the same faculties ? Extravagant and 
contradictory thoughts, which discover the perverseness of those who 
indulge them ! My soul, notwithstanding all its imperfections and 
limited state, attests the greatness of that Being who has created it : 
a Being necessarily self-existent, and infinitely perfect ; on whom I 
am entirely dependent. This body which I bear, and of whose struc- 

55 



434 SEPTEMBER XV. 



Reflections on one's self. 



ture I am ignorant, proves that there must be a wise workman, whose 
greatness my feeble intellect cannot fathom ; who has made and ar- 
ranged these muscles, nerves, veins, and all the parts of which my 
body is composed in so wonderful a manner. 

How could man^ that weak and limited creature, plan and execute 
the original of such a machine, so complex and so artfully construct- 
ed : whose parts are connected together with so much harmony : he, 
who is not capable of even taking an exact copy of this original ? 
There is not the smallest particle of our bodies for which there is 
not a sufficient reason ; and which is not absolutely necessary, or be- 
comes so by the connexion it has with other parts. Experience, as 
well as reason, proves this beyond a doubt. And certainly the Cre- 
ator must be infinitely great, seeing I am not the only creature who 
can boast that I am formed with so much wisdom, and with such ad- 
mirable art. Millions of my fellow creatures, innumerable multi- 
tudes of animate and inanimate beings, seem to call upon me with one 
voice : " Behold the Invisible, acknowledge him in his works ! See 
how his greatness and perfections are manifest in us all, and in thy- 
self. Behold ! the most insignificant of us lives as well as thou ; it 
has received, as well as thou, both being and motion. 0, bless Him, 
who has formed us all in so wonderful a way !" 

To thee, O God, the adorable Author of my existence, I owe 
eternal thanksgiving. It is by thee I live, in thee I move, and from 
thee I have my being. It is through thy goodness, that my soul thinks 
and reflects, in a healthy body : it is to thee alone that I owe all the 
pleasures which the surrounding creatures affbrd me. It is by thy 
command that all nature inspires me with joy. 

Thou waterest the earth, that it may be fruitful ; and that I perish 
not through lack of sustenance. Thou art He, whom I and all intel- 
ligent beings adore : thy goodness, wisdom, and providence, I bless, 
and recommend myself to thy paternal care for the future. ThoK 
knowest all men ; thou hast thy eye upon them, and observest all 
their actions. Thou dost not desire that we should pass our time in 
darkness and distress, and that we should consider our existence as a 
curse : thou permittest us to enjoy, with a grateful heart, the innocent 
pleasures of life. 

When the bird in the air astonishes me with the rapidity of its 
flight, the elegance of its form, and the sweetness of its notes, is it 
not right that I should consider it as thy work ; that its songs are so 
many hymns to its Creator ; and that they should excite me to praise 
thee ? Thou providest food for it, as well as for me. It is nourished 
by seeds, which thou causest to grow up for it ; as I am by the corn 
which appears to rot in the earth, but, which, at thy command, be- 
comes the support of my life. Thou sendest the rain, and the beams 
of the sun upon the earth, to cause it to produce the most delicious 
fruit ; while the utmost of my efforts could not produce a single blade 
of grass ! It is not merely the necessaries of life which thou grant- 
est us : thou givest besides what the world calls fortune, riches, and 



SEPTEMBER XV. 435 



Reflections on one's self. 



happiness. Thou directest events so, that even those which appear 
the most unfortunate, often contribute to our happiness. In a word, 
after having formed us in so admirahle a manner, thou preservest us 
by a continual series of miracles. 

that the precious, though short hours, of my earthly pilgrimage 
(those hours which can never return) may be employed in such a 
manner as may best answer the manner of my existence ; that when 
I leave this world, I may enter into a more blessed state, and be bet- 
ter able to fathom the mysteries of nature and grace ! May the con- 
templation of thy wonders, accompanied with the influences of thy 
Holy Spirit, excite me to celebrate thee, who art my Creator and 
Redeemer ; may I praise the through all eternity, who art the Being 
of beings, and the sovereign good of all thy creatures ! 



SEPTEMBER XVL 

THE STRENGTH OF THE HUMAN BODY COMPARED WITH THAT OF ANIMALS^ 

Although the human body is externally more delicate than that of 
other animals, it is nevertheless very nervous, and probably stronger 
in proportion to its size, than that of the most vigorous creatures. 
For, if we compare the strength of the lion wdth that of man, we 
should consider that this animal, being armed with claws, we are apt 
to form a false idea of his strength, by the use he makes of them :, 
and we attribute to his strength, what properly belongs to his wea- 
pons. But, there is a better method of comparing the strength of 
men and that of animals ; and this is by the weight they can carry. 
Were it possible to unite in one point, or to collect into one effort, 
all the particular exertions made by an ordinary man in the course of 
a single day, vv^e should find that such a person would be able to lift 
every day a w^eight equal to 1,728,000 pounds a foot from the ground, 
without any injury to his health. In general, people accustomed to 
hard labour, can easily carry a burthen of 150 or 200 pounds weight. 
And common porters often carry burthens from 7 to 800 pounds 
weight. In London, those who work at the quays, in loading and 
unloading ships, sometimes carry burthens too weighty for an ordi- 
nary horse. 

The size of a man's body is, in proportion to that of a horse, as 
one is to six or seven. If then the strength of the horse were in pro- 
portion to the strength of a man, he would be able to carry a load of 
12 to 14,000 pounds weight : but there is none that can carry such a 
burthen; and it is certain, that the horse's strength (if not less) is 
only equal to that of man, the proportion of size being considered. 
A learned Frenchman has made an experiment to ascertain the 
strength of the human body : he had a sort of harness, made, by 
means of which he placed on every part of a man, standing upright, 



436 SEPTEMBER XVi. 



strength of the human body and that of animala compared. 



a certain number of weights, so that each part of the body supported 
as much as it could bear, relatively to the rest ; and there was no part 
but what had its due proportion of the load. By means of this 
machine, without being at all over-burthened, the man carried a weight 
of 2000 pounds ? 

We may also judge of the strength of man, by the continuance of 
his exercise, and the lightness of his motions. Men who are accus- 
tomed to hunting, outrun horses ; and can bear the exercise longer ; 
and even in more moderate exercise, a man accustomed to walk, will 
travel each day much farther than a horse can. And were each to go 
only the same number of miles in the day : the horse would be found 
entirely exhausted with fatigue, when the man would be capable of 
continuing his journey without any inconvenience. At Ispahan, cou- 
riers go nearly 130 miles in ten or tvi^elve hours. Travellers inform 
us, that the Hoitentots outstrip lions ; and that the American savages 
who hunt the original, pursue these animals, though as fleet as stags, 
till they tire them down, and catch them. A thousand other things 
are reported of the fleetness of the savages ; of the long journeys 
which they undertake, and accomplish on foot, over the most rugged 
mountains, and through trackless, uncultivated deserts. It is said that 
these men perform journeys oijive or six thousand railes in six weeks, 
or two months! There is no other creature, birds alone excepted, 
that can perform such journeys as these. Men, in a state of civiliza- 
tion, do not know their own strength ; how much they lose by effe- 
minacy, and how much they might acquire by habit and vigorous ex- 
ercise. Sometimes we meet witli men of extraordinary strength : but 
this gift of nature, which would be so valuable were it to be employed 
in their own defence, or in useful labour, is of little advantage in civi- 
lized society ; where genius does more than bodily strength ; and 
where manual labour devolves on the lowest orders of society. 

Here again, we must acknowledge the admirable wisdom with which 
God has formed the body, and rendered it capable of such activity. 
But, at the same time, we should pity those indolent men, who spend 
their lives in idleness, sloth, and effeminacy : and who cannot be 
persuaded to use their strength, for fear of injuring their health, or 
destroying their lives ! But why has God given us such strength, if 
not to use it I While then we consume it in effeminate sloth, we re- 
fuse to obey the command of our Creator, and render ourselves guilty 
of unpardonable ingratitude. 

May we henceforward use all our strength for the benefit of our 
fellow-creatures, according to the situation in which God has placed 
us in this world ; and if circumstances should require it, let us earn 
our bread by the sweat of our brow. Are we not happier than thou- 
sands of our brethren, who are w^orn out with labour and fatigue; 
who groan under the insupportable yoke of slavery ; whose honest 
foreheads are bathed in sweat ; and w^ho, when their strength is 
iieaily exhausted, have no means of procuring any comfort or ease 
lo their oppressed bodies. The more happy we find ourselves, when 



SEPTEMBER XVI. 437 



strength of the human body and that of animals compared. 

compared to these, the more we should apply ourselves to fill up all 
our duties : and the success of our labours should lead us to praise 
God with grateful hearts, who has condescended to grant that strength, 
which was necessary, and to preserve it to us to the present time. 



SEPTEMBER XVII. 

THE INSTINCT OF THE BUTTERFLY RELATIVE TO THE PROPAGATION OF 

ITS SPECIES. 

At this season of the year, butterflies begin to disappear from the 
creation : but the race is not extinct. This insect lives in its pos- 
terity, and by a wonderful instinct, takes care to provide for the pre- 
servation of its species. From their eggs new generations spring. 
But where do they lay their eggs at the approach of the inclement 
season ? And how can they protect them from the rains of autumn, 
and the frosts of winter ? Are they not in danger of being drowned 
or frozen ? 

That beneficent Being, who gives wisdom to man, has also conde- 
scended to instruct the butterfly how to secure that only legacy which 
she can leave to the surviving world, by covering over her eggs with 
a gluey substance which proceeds from her own body. This species of 
glue is so very tenacious, that the rain cannot penetrate it ; and that 
the ordinary cold of winter cannot kill the young ones which are 
included in the eggs. But it is remarkable, that though every spe- 
cies follow the same method, from generation to generation, yet 
there is a great diversity in the measures which different species 
of the butterfly take for the preservation of their race. Natura- 
lists inform us, that some of these insects lay their eggs in the be- 
ginning of autumn, and then die ; lying over and glued to their dear 
offspring. The sun, which has still considerable power, warms their 
eggs ; and before winter a numerous troop of little caterpillars are 
hatched, which immediately begin to spin, and make themselves very 
spacious nests of this thread, in which they pass the cold season with- 
out eating, and almost without motion. When we open these nests, 
we find that what they have spun serves them for tent, curtains, and 
mattrass. It is still more remarkable, that the butterfly, as well as 
other insects, la^^s its eggs only on select plants ; such as are suitable 
to its young, and where they may find food whenever it become-s ne- 
cessary : thus, as soon as they are hatched, they are encompassed 
with those aliments which are fit for them, without being obliged to 
remove before they are able to take long journeys. 

All these things, and many others of tire same nature, are well cal- 
culated to cause us to admire the wise plans of an all-preserving 
Providence. If miracles, and things absolutely out of the common 
course of nature, were not necessary to affect and render us atten- 
tive, the consideration of that care which these insects take of their 



438 SEPTEMBER XVII. 

Instinct of the butterfly relative to propagation. 

young, (cares so various in the different species, but always so regu- 
lar and uniform in each in particular,) would fill us with the greatest 
astonishment. 

Let us, who are rational beings, learn from those little creatures 
to preserve in our hearts a love for our posterity ; and to interest 
ourselves effectually for those who are to come after us. In the pro- 
jects and enterprises which we form, let us not be discouraged with 
the thought that death may overtake us before we have accom- 
plished our designs. Let us remember what we owe to society ; 
and that we ought, at least, to take as much concern in what relates 
to posterity, as those who have gone before took in matters relative 
to us. It is particularly the duty of parents, to learn from the mo- 
ther butterfly, to provide for the children which shall survive them ; 
and to place them beforehand in the best situation they can. Doubt- 
less, we cannot foresee, nor conseauently prevent, the wants and 
afflictions to which they may be exposed, through unavoidable acci- 
dents : but at least we should take care, that their condition should 
not become miserable through our neglect. Would to God that all pa- 
rents concerned themselves as much as they ought with the future 
happiness of their posterity ; that they would not be so imprudent as to 
leave their families in disorder ; that they would regulate their domestic 
affairs so well, that after their death their children might not be exposed 
to vexatious embarrassments ! That they might not have the mortifi- 
cation to see strangers consuming their goods, and enjoying their 
inheritances I 



SEPTEMBER II. 

THE VINE. 

We need only reflect on the vine, to be convinced that complaints 
against the inequalities of the ground are ill-founded, and unreasona- 
ble. The vine never thrives in a flat country ; neither does every 
hill agree with it ; but only those which look towards the east or 
south. Hills may be considered the bulwarks of nature, which she 
invites us to garnish, as we do our fruit-walls ; where the strength 
of the reflected heat is found united to the goodness of the open air. 
The most barren hills, and those steep grounds where the plough 
cannot go, are every year covered with the most beautiful verdure, 
and produce the most delicious of all fruits. If the soil that nourishes 
the vine appear so poor and unsightly ; the plant which produces the 
vine is not more promising in its appearance. Who could have be- 
lieved that the meanest, most deformed, most brittle, and useless 
wood in the world, could have produced a liquor so precious, had 
not experience proved it ? And yet, such is the vegetative energy 
of the vine, that the sap flows through it with six or eight times the 
force the blood does in the veins of animals. Farther, the evapora- 



SEPTEMBER XVIII. 439 



The vine. 



tion of the vine is so great, that to supply what is exhaled through 
the leaves, 152 inches of sap must rise in this tree in the space of 
twelve hours ! Who has endued the vine with qualities so superior 
to the meanness of its origin, and the barrenness of its natal soil ? 
Who gave it such spirit and energy, which not only preserve it 
for many years, but even enable it to acquire new degrees of 
strength. 

With what wisdom also has God distributed vineyards over the 
earth ! They do not succeed equally in all places ; they require to 
be situated between the 40th and 50th degrees of latitude, about the 
middle of the globe. Asia is properly the country of the vine ; 
whence its cultivation has gradually extended to Europe. The PAe- 
nicians, who travelled very early over all the coasts of the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, brought it to most of the isles, and to the continent. It 
succeeded wonderfully in the isles of the Archipelago, and was thence 
carried into Italy. The vine was there greatly multiplied : and the 
Gauls having once tasted this liquor, determined to possess the coun- 
try where it was produced : they therefore passed the Alps, and con- 
quered both sides of the Pa. Shortly after, the vine was ^cultivated 
in every part of Fraiice ; and at last, on the banks of the Rhine, the 
Moselle, and the Neckar ; and in other parts of Germany. 

These observations may give rise to many important reflections. 
As the most barren soils are the best for the cultivation of the vine ; 
so it often happens, that countries the most impoverished, are most 
favourable to the cultivation of the Arts and Sciences. In provinces 
universally despised for their poverty, men of genius have arisen, 
whose knowledge has illuminated other countries. There is no 
place so desert, no town so small, no village so despicable, in which 
certain branches of science may not be cultivated with success. 
Encouragement is all that is wanting. And how abundantly useful 
might we be, did we take a little pains to promote, as much as possi- 
ble, the cultivation of the human heart ! Sovereigns, preachers, in- 
structors of youth, how much might you contribute to the happin,ess 
of your cotemporaries and posterity, if, by rewards^ exhortations, 
useful establishments, and similar encouragements, you would en- 
deavour to bring back religion, science, and the social virtues, into 
ruined cities and wretched villages ! Efforts for these purposes are 
never entirely useless. Either we meet the recompense ourselves, 
©r our descendants gather the fruits of them. At least, we shall be 
classed with those respectable men, who, in becoming the benefac- 
tors of the human race, secure the approbation of God, and the bles- 
sing of their fellow-creatures. 

The vine, with its dry and shapeless v/ood, is an emblem of those, 
who, though destitute of the outward splendour of birth and dignity, 
are, nevertheless, exceedingly useful. How often does it happen, that 
men who live in obscurity, and whose external appearance promises 
iiothing, perform actions, and execute enterprises, which elevate 
:them far beyond the sovereigns of the earth ? Let us here reflect 



440 SEPTEMBER XVIII. 



The vine. 



on Jesus Christ himself: to judge of him, from the abject state in 
which he appeared, we should never have expected such great and 
astonishing miracles, and works so beneficial to the human race. 

This Jesus, who like the unpromising vine, was planted in a barren 
soil, has borne fruit for the blessing and salvation of the whole earth ! 
He has showed us, that a man may be poor, despised and miserable 
in this world ; and, nevertheless, successfully labour for the glorv of 
God and the good of mankind. 



SEPTEMBER XIX, 

A HYMN TO CELEBRATE THE WORKS OF CREATION AND PROVIDENCE 

Praise our God ! Let all people celebrate him with songs of joy ! 
Sing aloud, and magnify his power and goodness ! Adore Him ! 
Bow down before Him ! Celebrate, exalt, and glorify the King of 
nations ! 

It is He, by whose power the elements the heavens, and the light 
have been drawn out of nothing : who has separated the earth from 
the surrounding waters : his hand formed the sea, and that innu- 
merable host of creatures which live on his bounty. 

It is He who has given light and heat to the sun ; who has regula- 
ted the phases of the moon; who has taught the planets their 
course ; who blazes in the lightning ; and who speaks in the thunder ! 

He is heard in the roaring of the tempest. The strength of the 
lion, and the organization of the insect, are monuments of his power : 
and to please men, he has taught the nightingale to form her melo- 
dious notes. 

He gives to flowers their balsamic odours ; he weighs the air, and 
puts it into motion; he calls forth the winds, and directs them in their 
course. The sea, which roars at the word of his power, obeys, 
and stands still at his threatening. God reigns in the depth of the 
abyss. 

Being of beings ! How manifest is thy magnificence in thy crea- 
tures ! Among them, the traces of thy power are marvellous ! All 
creation proclaims thee — every thing says unto me : " Contemplate 
and magnify thy Maker." 

I hasten, O my Creator and Master, to bring thee my tribute of 
adoration and thanksgiving. Come, ye different creatures, unite 
with me to celebrate the Creator. Let us bow down before, and 
adore him. God, who has formed the universe, deserves our 
homage. 



SEPTEMBER XIX.* 441 



Wonders which God performs daily. 



SEPTEMBER XIX.^ 

THE WONDERS WHICH GOD PERFORMS DAILY. 

The universe, which still subsists in all its beauty and in that order 
in which it was first established, is a miracle which we have con- 
stantly before us. What an astonishing world is this which we inha- 
bit ! How great the number, the magnificence, the variety, and the 
beauty, of the creatures it contains ! What other hand than that of 
the Omnipotent, could have placed, in this immense expanse, the sun 
and stars, whose magnitude, and prodigious distance from us, astonish 
the imagination ! Who has assigned them the path they have walked 
in for so many thousands of years ? Who has calculated so exactly 
the respective powers of all these globes ; and who has established 
so perfect a balance between them and the aether which supports 
them? Who has placed the earth at such a due distance from the 
sun, that it is neither too near, nor too far off? The vicissitudes of 
day and night, the revolutions of the seasons, the innumerable multi- 
tude of animals, reptiles, trees, and plants, which the earth produces, 
are all the work of God. If a world so admirable were now created 
before our eyes, who would not consider it as one of the greatest mira- 
cles of the Divine Omnipotence. 

The particular providence of God is a continual proof of his great- 
ness, power, wisdom, and omnipresence. The continual care which 
God takes of men, and his marked attention to each, of which every 
person has the most particular proofs ; the various methods he uses to 
bring men to himself; the paths by which he leads them to happiness ; 
the adversities he makes use of to awaken and bring them to the 
knowledge of themselves ; the extraordinary events which he im- 
proves to the advantage of his government ; events which are gene- 
rally produced by trivial causes, and in circumstances which seem to 
render them impossible : the great changes which he operates to 
spread the knowledge of his Gospel from one country to another ; 
these are so many effects, in which we ought to acknowledge the ever 
active hand of God ; and cry out with the Psalmist, This is the Lord's 
doing ; and it is marvellous in our eyes. 

Let us only be attentive to what passes before us, and we shall find 
God everywhere : we shall see that in all the ordinary means of grace 
he is incessantly labouring for our salvation : that his word dwells 
among us ; and we may constantly hear his saving voice. Surely, those 
who refuse to hear him, and resist the motions of his Spirit ; who 
yield not to his merciful operations ; would not turn, though new 
miracles were wrought before their eyes. Man, who considers that God 
has created this world, which every where presents so many wonders 
to him : man, who is every moment loaded with the blessings of the 
Lord, and who has received from him all the comforts he enjoys ; 
ought he not to believe in, love, and obey him ? Yet he resists — 
What then can affect him ? — Whom will he not oppose ? 



442 SEPTEMBER XIX.^ 



Wonders which God performs daily. 



We, who are daily witnesses of the wonders of our God, should be 
attentive to them ; and not shut our hearts against the truth. Let not 
prejudice and passion prevent us from meditating on the wonderful 
works of God. Let us contemplate this visible world, and reflect on 
ourselves ; and we shall find constant reason to acknowledge Him, who 
works so many miracles every day before our eyes. Occupied with 
these great ideas, and struck with astonishment and admiration, we 
shall then cry out, " Praise, honour, and glory, be ascribed unto God, 
the supreme good ; and the Redeemer of our souls ! To that God, 
who alone works wonders ; to that God who fills the hearts of his 
people with the sweetest consolations : to him, who assuages our pains, 
comforts us in our afllictions, and who wipes away all tears from our 
eyes ; to him be glory for ever and ever." Amen. 



SEPTEMBER XX. 

DIGESTION. 

Digestion is a wonderful and complex business, which we per- 
form daily, without knowing how ; and without even giving ourselves 
the least trouble to understand what is most remarkable and essential, 
in so important a function of the human body. Millions take their 
food daily, without ever ha\'ing thought, even once in their life, what 
becomes of it after it has been swallowed. It is well for us that di- 
gestion may be carried on without our perceiving how it is effected: 
but, is it not desirable to have some idea of the operations of nature 
in this respect ? 

After the food is chewed, divided into very small parts by the teeth, 
and moistened, it is prepared to pass into the (Esophagus, or gullet. 
This is the last function, relative to digestion, in which our wills have 
any part ; for, all the rest is performed without our knowledge : nor 
could we prevent it, if we even wished to do so. As soon as a bit is 
brought into the oesophagus, it thrusts it forward by a mechanism 
peculiar to itself, and forces it into the stomach ; whither its own 
gravity could not carry it. When the food is brought into the sto- 
mach, it is there reduced, by some peculiar means, into a soft paste, 
of a grayish colour; which, after being sufficiently attenuated, passes 
into the first intestine, which is called the duodenum. In this, the 
alimentary mass undergoes new changes. Several small vessels, which 
proceed from the gall-hladder, and from a gland situated behind the 
bottom of the stomach, called the pancreas, open into the duodenum ; 
and pour the bile and pancreatic juice into it ; which are there mixed 
with the food. 

Besides these, there are a multitude of glands in the intestines, 
which diffuse their humours through every part of the alimentary 
mass. It is after this mixture that the true chyle is discovered 
among this mass ; and there is much reason to believe, that digestiori 
is completed and perfected in the diwdenum. 



SEPTEMBER XX. 443 



Digestion. 



The alimentary mass continues its course through the other intes- 
tines, where it is continually moistened by the juices which are 
secreted in their cavities. The chijle begins then to pass into the 
lacteal vessels, which open every where through the intestines, and 
terminate in the receptarJe of the chijle. This is situated in that part 
of the back, where the first and second lumbar vertebras commence ; 
from it the thoracic duct proceeds, which runs along the spina dorci, 
and opens into the back side of the left subclavian vein, near the out- 
side of the internal jugular. The chyle flows through this canal, 
and in order to mix with the blood, it is received into the heart, and 
dispersed by the arteries and veins over all the body, losing its white, 
or grayish colour in this circulation. 

But there are always some parts of the food which are too gross 
to be converted into chyle ; or to enter into the lacteal vessels. 
What becomes of these ? The intestines have a peristaltic, or vermi- 
cular motion ; by means of which they alternately contract and di- 
late ; and thus push downward the matter they contain. This mo- 
tion having caused the alimentary mass to pass into the third intes- 
tine; protrudes the residuum through the fourth, fifth, and sixth, 
successively. 

The substance which may be considered as the husks of the 
aliments, having arrived at the end of the rectum, or last large intes- 
tine, would be slowly, and continually evacuated, which would be a 
terrible inconvenience, had not nature encompassed the mouth of 
this bowel with a muscle called the sphincter, which contracts and 
keeps it shut. Thus the residuum of each digestion is accumulated 
in the rectum ; and there continues till the quantity, and the irritation 
which it occasions, indicate the necessity of parting with the whole. 
Then the muscles of the abdomen and diaphragm, assisting the action 
of the rectum, surmount the resistance of the sphincter; and the 
superfluous matter is expelled. 

This is a slight sketch of the manner in which digestion is per- 
formed in our body ; digestion, so essential to our health, our comfort 
and even our very existence. Let us consider how evidently the 
wisdom of God appears in all this. What wonderful circumstances 
must concur, in ordei to accomplish this end ! The stomach must not 
only have an inward heat, and a dissolving fluid ; but also a peristaltic 
motion, by which the food is attenuated and reduced into a soft paste 
and afterward converted into chyle, which being distributed through 
all the members of the body supplies them with blood and nourish- 
ment. The saliva, or spittle, is also necessary ; which has the pro- 
perty of soap, and the virtue of mixing together oily and aqueous 
matters. There must be also, through the whole course of the 
intestines, certain machines which separate the various necessary 
humours from the blood, that the aliments may be sufliciently elabo- 
rated, and the chyle brought to perfection. The tongue, the muscles 
of the cheek, the teeth, and other organs beside, must all concur to 
divide, grinds and attenuate the aliments, before they descend into the 



444 SEPTEMBER XX. 



Digestion. 



Stomach. How much wisdom is discovered in this ! How inexcusable 
should we be, were we inattentive to these wonders, and not eic- 
cited by them to glorify our Creator ! 



SEPTEMBER XXI. 

THE PREVALENCE OF GOOD OVER EVIL IN THIS WORLD. 

Nothing is better calculated to comfort us in the afflictions and 
trials which we meet with in this life, than admitting-, as a fixed prin- 
ciple, that there is more good than evil in the world. Let us consult 
the most wretched man, and ask him, if he can reckon up as many 
causes of complaint, as he has motives for gratitude? He woufd 
soon find, that however great his afflictions may be, they are not 
equal to the multitude of mercies which he has received in the 
course of his life. 

To render this truth still more evident ; let us reckon how many 
days we have enjoyed health, and how very few we have been sick. 
To the few troubles and disappointments which we have met with in 
civil and domestic life, let us oppose the many comforts they have 
afforded us. Compare all the good and innocent actions by which the 
greater part of men render themselves useful, either to themselves, 
or to their fellows, with the small number of those which may be 
termed injurious. Let us reckon, if possible, all the agreeable sen- 
sations which each sense affords us. Let us number all the plea- 
sures which belong to every age, state, and profession : — all the gifts 
which nature bestows in such abundance : and which human industry 
knows how to use, so as to procure an infinity of pleasures and con- 
veniencies. Let us reckon the pleasures we felt when we escaped, 
or surmounted, any danger ; when we gained any victory over our- 
selves : or did some wise, or virtuous action. Let us reckon all these 
blessings, the enjoyment of which we can recollect ; and consider 
how few of our past mercies we can remember. Let us also con- 
sider, that it is only the habit of receiving good, which renders us 
at all sensible of evil : that new blessings cause us to forget those 
that are past ; and that if the evils we meet with make so deep an 
impression upon our minds, it is precisely because they occur, sel- 
dom ; and we are not accustomed to them. 

Let us reckon the happy occurrences which we may remember, 
and which, by the way, make but the smallest part of the whole good 
we have enjoyed ; and let us oppose them to the evils we remem- 
ber, the great utility of which we do not yet know. I do not say all 
the evils we may remember, for I do not speak of those, which, ac- 
cording to our own confession, have enhanced our blessings, and have 
been the source of many and great advantages. I do not speak of 
those little evils, which are preservatives from greater ones: and 
which are dispensed to men to make them better and happier ; or to 



SEPTEMBER XXI. 445 



Prevalence of good over evil in this world. 



instruct others by their example : for, evils of this kind are compen- 
sated by their advantageous consequences to mankind. In the calcu- 
lation I wish to make, we must only oppose to the blessings which we 
recollect, those evils, the usefulness of which we do not yet know : 
and I aver, that if we make this computation in moments of coolness 
and serenity, and not in the time of disappointment, vexation, or af- 
fliction, we shall be fully convinced, that the blessings we enjoy in this 
world, vastly overbalance all the evils we meet with. 

Why then do men think so little of the continual proofs which 
they receive of the goodness of God ? Why do they love to dwell 
on the gloomy side of things, and torment themselves with unseason- 
able cares and inquietudes ? Does not Divine Providence surround 
us with pleasing objects? Why then fix our eyes continually on our 
infirmities, on what we want, and on evils which may possibly hap- 
pen ? Why magnify them in our imagination ; and obstinately turn 
away our eyes from what might make us easy and cheerful? But, 
thus it is : the least affliction we meet with, arrests our whole atten- 
tion ; whilst a long series of happy days slips away without being 
noticed. We draw distresses and vexations on ourselves, which could 
never take place were we more attentive to God's blessings. Let us 
abandon a line of conduct so well calculated to make us wretched. 
Let us be fully assured, that God has dispensed his blessings over the 
earth with an impartial hand : that there is no man upon earth that 
has any real cause of complaint ; but, on the contrary, the most nu- 
merous reasons for songs of gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise. 

" Blessed be that God, who is our sovereign good ! He fills our 
hearts with joy and gladness ! If he try us sometimes by afflictions, 
his consolations soon cheer our souls ; and his goodness condescends 
to promise us a happiness unclouded, and without end. He leads us 
by secret, and unknown paths, to the infinite blessings he designs us I 
Even the trials which he now and then sends are intended to accomplish 
the most beneficent ends ; which we shall one day gratefully acknow- 
ledge. In the mean time, he permits us not to be tried above our 
strength ; his powerful and paternal hand still protects us ; and the 
eye of his mercy is ever open upon us." 



SEPTEMBER XXII. 

ENMITY AMONG ANIMALS. 

There is a constant enmity between animals ; they attack and 
pursue each other continually. Every element is to them a field of 
battle : the eagle is the terror of the inhabitants of the air ; the tiger 
lives by carnage on the earth ; the pike in the waters ; and the mole 
under the earth. It is the want of food which induces these and other 
animals to destroy one another. But there is an antipathy between 
certain creatures which does not proceed from the same cause. It 



446 SEPTEMBER XXII. 

Enmity among animals. 

is manifest, for example, that the animals which twist themselves 
about the elephanfs trunk, and never give over till they have stifled 
him, do not do it in order to procure themselves food. When the 
ermine leaps up, and fixes itself in the ear of the deer, or elk, and 
bites them with its sharp teeth ; it cannot be said that these hostili- 
.ties have been occasioned by hunger. But, there is not an animal on 
the earth, how small soever it may be, that does not serve for food to 
some other animal. 

I know well, that there are some persons to whom this arrange- 
ment of nature appears cruel and improper : but I do not hesitate to 
assert, that even this antipathy, and the enmity which exists among 
animals, furnish an excellent proof that all is well ordered. Take 
animals in the gross, and it is certainly an advantage that some should 
prey on others : for, on one hand, a number of species could not ex- 
ist without this: and, on the other, those numerous species, far from 
being injurious, are useful to the others. Insects, and many reptiles, 
feed on carrion. Others fix their abode in the bodies of certain ani- 
mals, and feed on their flesh and blood ; and those same insects are 
food for other creatures. Carnivorous animals, and birds of prey, 
kill and feed on other animals. Some kinds multiply so prodigiously, 
that they would become oppressive, were not this increase inter- 
rupted. Were there no sparrows to devour these insects, what 
would become of flowers and fruits ? Without the ichneumon, which 
seeks and devours the crocodile's eggs, this formidable animal would 
multiply to an alarming degree. 

A great part of the earth would be desert ; and many species of 
creatures could not exist, were there no carnivorous animals. Per- 
haps it might be said, that they would feed on vegetables ; but were 
this the case, our fields could scarcely produce herbage enough for 
sparrows and swallows. Besides, the structure of the bodies of car- 
nivorous animals must be different from what it is now : and how 
could fish, for instance, find subsistence, were they not to live on the 
inhabitants of the waters ? There is reason also to suppose, that 
animals would lose a great deal of their vivacity and industry, were 
it not for the continual wars among them. The creation would be 
less animated, beasts would become stupid, and man himself lose a 
great part of that activity which is now employed against the incur- 
sions of destructive animals. Finally, many striking proofs of the 
wisdom of God would be wanting, were there an universal peace 
among animals : for the cunning sagacity, and wonderful instinct with 
which they lay snares for, and surprise their prey, sufficiently point 
out the wisdom of the Creator. 

So far then is the enmity among animals from casting a shade over 
the wisdom and goodness of God, that these perfections shine with 
new lustre from this very circumstance. It seems to have entered 
into the plan of creation, that certain animals should feed upon 
others. We might indeed complain of this plan, if the entire de- 
struction of any species should be the result ; but this never happens ; 



SEPTEMBER XXII. 447 



Enmity among animals. 



and the constant wars among animals are, on the contrary, the real 
cause of preserving a perfect balance. Thus, carnivorous animals 
are the indispensable connecting links in the chain of beings : and on 
this very account, their number is small, compared with that of useful 
animals. 

It is further worth remarking, that the strongest and most savage 
animals have commonly less understanding and cunning than the 
others : they either destroy each other reciprocally, or their yaung 
become food for other beasts. Hence it is that nature has endowed 
the weakest animals with so much industry, and so many means of 
defence. They have that instinct, delicacy of sense, swiftness, ad- 
dress, and cunning, necessary to counterbalance the strength of their 
enemies. Is there any who cannot behold in this the infinite wisdom 
of the Creator ? Or, who will not acknowledge that the state of war- 
fare among animals, which at first sight appears so strange, is, never- 
theless a real good ? We should be still more convinced of this could 
we take in the whole system of things : and the relations and connex- 
ions which the different creatures have with each other. 

But, this degree of knowledge is reserved for the other world; 
where the Divine perfections shall be manifested to us in their infinite 
splendour. Yet, even in this world, we may be able in some sort, to 
comprehend why this hostility among animals is necessary. But it is 
absolutely incomprehensible, why divisions and destructive wars should 
reign among men^ the most noble of all creatures. Alas ! it must be 
confessed, to the scandal of humanity, that men are found who even 
dare to profess the Christian religion, while more ferocious and destruc- 
tive than the most savage beasts : their hostilities are more multiplied ; 
and they make use of means the most dexterous and secret to destroy 
each other. Lions, tigers, and vultures, are lambs and doves, when 
compared to man. Nothing can be more foreign to the merciful de- 
signs of God than this. His intention was, that each man should render 
himself useful to his fellow-creatures ; and contribute, as much as pos- 
sible to their comfort and happiness : that he should be their defender, 
benefactor, guardian, and god ; in a word, that every man should ren- 
der to another all the good offices within the limits of his povt^er. Let 
none of us counteract these merciful designs of the Lord : but let us 
endeavour to live below in peace and concord. Let animals destitute 
of reason, persecute, hate, and destroy one another; but, let z*^^ follow 
the example of Jesus Christ ; and endeavour to render each other 
happy. 



SEPTEMBER XXIII. 

THE MORAL USES OF THE NIGHT. 

The days begin to shorten, and the nights grow long: and many 
people are discontented with this arrangement of nature. They 
perhaps secretly wish, that there were no night ; or, at least, that the 



448 SEPTEMBER XXIII. 



Moral uses of tlie night. 



nights were all the year round as short as they are in June and July. 
But such wishes are unreasonable, and betray our own ignorance. 
If we would take the trouble to reflect on the advantages which re- 
sult from the vicissitudes of day and night, we should not be so 
precipitate in our judgments, nor make such groundless com- 
plaints ; but rather acknowledge the usefulness of the plan, and bless 
God for it. 

First, what is well calculated to make us perceive the moral utility 
of the night, is this ; that it interrupts the progress of most vices ; 
or at least, of those which are most injurious to society. Darkness 
obliges the wicked man to take rest, and procures some hours of re- 
lief to oppressed virtue. The unjust, or fraudulent merchant, ceases, 
during the night to cheat his neighbour ; and when darkness arrives, 
a thousand disorders are arrested. Were men to be twice as long 
awake as they are at present, to what a frightful degree would evil 
actions of every kind be multiplied ! The wicked, by giving them- 
selves up uninterruptedly to vice, would acquire a horrible faculty of 
sinning. In a word, we may assert, that the longer the nights are the 
fewer crimes are committed in the space of the twenty-four hours : 
and this is certainly not one of the least advantages which we derive 
from the night. 

Of how much instruction and mental pleasure should we be de- 
prived, were there no night ! The wonders of creation, which the 
starry heavens present, would be lost to us. But, as each night shows 
us the magnificence of God in the stars ; we may raise up our hearts to 
him, and feel more sensibly our own littleness. If every occurrence 
which reminds us of God should be precious to us ; how ought we to 
love the night which proclaims to us in so energetic a manner the per- 
fections of God? Did we pay proper attention to this subject, no 
night would appear too long, each would be beneficial to us; and 
one spent in meditating on the works of God, might have the hap- 
piest influence over our future life. Let us therefore contemplate at- 
tentively that immense theatre of the wonders of God which the night 
discovers to us. A single good thought which this grand sight may 
occasion : a thought with which we may go to sleep, and with which 
we may awake ; with which we may entertain ourselves during the 
course of the day ; may be of the utmost utility to our understanding 
and to our heart. 

In general, night is a very advantageous. time for those who love to 
meditate, and to use self examination. The tumult and dissipation 
in which we commonly live during the day, leave us but too little time 
for recollection; for detaching our affections from the earth; and 
for occupying ourselves seriously about our latter end, and the duties 
of our station. The tranquillity of the night invites us to, and assists 
U3 in, these serious occupations. We may then, without interruption, 
converse with our hearts, and acquire the important science of self- 
knowledge. Our souls may collect all their powers, and direct them 
to the objects which relate to our eternal happiness We may then 



SEPTEMBER XXIII. 419 



Moral uses of the niglit. 



banish the evil impressions which we receive from the world ; and 
get our souls fortified against the seducing examples of the age. This 
is the time in which we may meditate on death without distraction ; 
and employ ourselves in the great concerns of the eternal world. The 
tranquil solitude of our closets is favourable to religious thoughts ; and 
will inspiie us with an ardent desire to be more and more occupied in 
this sacred work. 

Let all the nights with which God may bless us, be sanctified by 
these salutary meditations. Then, far from murmuring at the vicissi- 
tudes of night and day, we shall praise God for them ; and bless the 
night, in which we have learned to know our own wretchedness better, 
the glory of the Lord, and the things which pertain to our eternal 
peace. 



SEPTEMBER XXIV. 



Whence is it that men are so indifferent about the works of God 
in nature ? An answer to this question may give rise to various im- 
portant reflections. 

The ^rst cause of this indifference is inattention. We are so ac- 
customed to the beauties of nature, that we neglect to admire that 
wisdom, the impress of which they bear ; and are not as grateful as 
we ought to be for the innumerable advantages which we deprive from 
them. There are too many people who resemble the stupid beast 
who feeds on the herbs of the field, and quenches his thirst at the 
stream, without ever reflecting whence these blessings which he en- 
joys proceed; and without acknowledging the goodness and wisdom 
of Him who bestows them. Thus men, though endowed with the 
most excellent faculties, by which they are enabled to participate 
more of the blessings of nature, seldonri think of the source whence 
they flow. And even where the wisdom and goodness of God are 
the most strikingly manifested, they are little affected, because they 
are so accustomed to the displays of his power : habit renders them 
indifferent and insensible, instead of exciting their admiration and 
gratitude. 

A second cause of this indifference in many people is ignorance. 
How many are there who are wholly unacquainted with the most 
common phenomena of nature ? They see the sun rising and setting 
every day : their fields are moistened sometimes with rain and dew, 
and sometimes with snow. The most wonderful revolutions take 
place under their notice every spring; but they give themselves no 
trouble to inquire into the causes and purposes of these phenomena, 
in respect to which they live in the most profound ignorance. It is 
true, there are a thousand things which will ever be incomprehensi- 
ble to us, however diligently we may study : nor are we more sensi- 

57 



450 SEPTEMBER XXIV. 



Causes of men's indiflference about the works of nature. 



ble of the limited state of our knowledge, than when we endeavour 
to fathom the operations of nature. But we may at least acquire his- 
torical knowledge of them ; and the meanest labourer may compre- 
hend how it comes to pass that the seed which he sows in the ground, 
buds and springs up, if he will take but a little trouble to inform him- 
self on the subject. 

Thirdly. Others disdain nature's operations, because they are wholly 
employed in their private interests. I am satisfied these would be more 
attentive observers of nature, if, fur instance, spiders spun thread.s of 
gold; {{lobsters contained pearls; and if the da.isy possessed the vir- 
tue of restoring old men to youth. In general, we value things only 
according to interest, or fancy. The objects which do not immediate- 
ly and sensibly gratify our inordinate desires, we judge unworthy our 
attention. Our self-love is so unreasonable, and we know so little of 
our true interests, that we despise the things v^hich are of the greatest 
use. Corn, for instance, is of all other plants, the most indispensably 
necessary to our subsistence ; and, nevertheless, vie see whole fields 
covered with this very useful production of nature, without paying 
proper attention to it. 

Fourthly. Many neglect tbe contemplation of nature through indo- 
lence : they are too fond of ease, lo talrR a few hours from their sleep 
to contemplate the starry heavens : they cannot persuade themselves 
to rise early in order to see the rising sun : they dread the fatigue of 
stooping to the ground to observe the admirable art which appears in 
the formation of the grass. And yet these very people, who are so 
fond of their ease and comfort, are full of ardour and activity when 
the gratification of their passions is the object. It would be a kind 
of martyrdom to the intemperate man, and to the gamester, to be 
obliged to consecrate those hours which they spend in drunkenness 
and gaming, to the contemplation of a beautiful starry sky. A man 
who loves walking, and would go many miles on foot to see a friend, 
would take it very ill to be obliged to go two miles to observe some 
singularity of nature. 

Fifthly. Others neglect the works of God in nature, through a 
principle of irreligion. They do not wish to know the greatness of 
God. They have no taste for piety, nor for the duties it prescribes. 
To praise and love God, and to be grateful to him for the benefits he 
has conferred on them, would be to them disagreeable and painful 
duties. We have too much reason to believe that this is one of the 
principal causes of that indifference which many have for the works 
of God. If they valued the knowledge of God above all things, they 
would eagerly embrace every opportunity of establishing themselves 
in that knowledge, and of perfecting their love to their Creator. 

Two thirds, probably, of mankind, may be ranked in the diflferent 
classes which we have already pointed out. At least it is certain, 
that there are very few who study the works of God in a proper 
manner, and delight in them. This is a melancholy truth, the proof 
of which is daily exhibited. Would to God that we could at last be 



SEPTEMBER XXIV. 451 



Causes of men's indifference about the works of nature. 



convinced how ill it becomes men to be thus insensible of, and inat- 
tentive to, the works of the Creator ; and how by this conduct they 
degrade and debase themselves below the very brutes ! What ! have 
we eyes, and shall we not contemplate the beauties which every where 
surround us ? Have we ears, and shall we not listen to the hymns 
which every part of the creation sings to the praise of the Lord. 
We wish to see him in the kingdom of his glory ; and shall we refuse 
to contemplate him here below in his admirable works ? Let us re- 
nounce an indifference so criminal, and endeavour henceforth to feel 
something of that joy which David felt, as often as he reflected on the 
works, the magnificencej and the glory of his Creator. 



SEPTEMBER XXV. 

ON SEVERAL NOCTURNAL METEORS. 

When the sky is pretty clear, we often observe a circular light, 
or large luminous ring, round the moon, which is called a halo^ or 
crown. Its outline has often the faint colours of the rainbow. The 
moon is in the centre of this ring, and the intermediate space is ge- 
nerally darker than the rest of. the sky. When the moon is at the 
full, and high above the horizon, the ring appears most luminous. 
It is often of a considerable size. We must not imagine that this 
circle is really round the moon : we must seek the reason of it in 
our own atmosphere, the vapours of which cause a refraction of the 
rays of light which penetrate them, properly adapted to produce this 
effect. 

There appear sometimes round, or one side of the real moofij 
some false ones, which are called 'paraselenes or mock moons. These 
are apparently of the same size of the moon ; but their light is pa- 
ler. They are generally accompanied with circles, some of which 
are coloured like the rainbow, others are white, and several have 
long luminous tails. All these phenomena are only illusions pro- 
duced by refraction. The light of the moon falling on aqueous, and 
sometimes frozen vapours, is refracted in various ways ; the separa- 
ted rays appear coloured, and reaching the eye of the spectator, 
double the image of the moon. Sometimes (but such appearances 
are very rare) we see in moonlight, after a heavy fall of rain, a lunar 
rainbow, which has exactly the same colours as the solar rainbow, 
only fainter. This is also occasioned by the refraction of the rays of 
light. 

When sulphureous and other vapours, take fire in the higher at- 
mosphere, we often observe streaks of light dart swiftly like rock^^cs. 
When these vapours collect in a mass, take fire, and fall dow^, we 
think we see little balls of fiire falling from the sky ; and as, from 
their distance, they appear about the size of stars, they are on this 



452 SEPTEMBER XXV. 



On several nocturnal meteors. 



account called falling stars. The common people think they are real 
stars, which change their places, or are dissipated, or purified. Some- 
times these imaginary stars are very brilliant, and magnificently colour- 
ed ; descend slowly, always acquiring new lustre, till at last they are 
extinguished in the vapours of the lower atmosphere, and falling on 
the earth, leave (as is supposed) a gluey, viscous substance behind them. 
Great globes of fire have sometimes been seen, more luminous than 
the full moon, with long tails. They are probably sulphureous and ni- 
trous vapours, which accumulate and take fire ; for they traverse the 
atmosphere with great velocity, and afterward burst with a loud noise. 
Sometimes, when the inflammable particles of which they are composed, 
are of a different nature, they disperse without noise in the hio-her 
regions of the atmosphere. 

The little flashes^ which we see so often in the summer evenings, 
after intense heat, are produced by vapours in the atmosphere, which 
are less visible, because they are higher up. This meteor is distin- 
guished from real lightning, by its never being accompanied with thun- 
der. It is probable, however, that these flashes are the reflection of 
lightning, which is at too great a distance for us to hear the peal of 
thunder with which it is accompanied. For a flash at the height of a 
mile, may be seen at the distance of more than one hundred miles, 
and its reflection further still, though the thunder can scarcely be 
heard further off" than ten or twelve miles. 

The Jying dragon, the dancing goat, the bu-rning heam, and various 
other meteors, owe their odd names to their singular appearance. 
They are only gross and viscous exhalations, which ferment in the 
humid regions of the lower air; .and which, being pressed in difl^erent 
directions by the agitated atmosphere, assume different forms, to 
which the common people give those extraordinary names. Several 
naturalists have imitated these in miniature, by mixing certain inflam- 
mable substances together. 

Of all the nocturnal phenomena, none is more remarkable, or, on 
the whole, more brilliant, than the aurora borealis, or northern lio-fits : 
they are seen generally from the beginning of autumn till the com- 
mencement of spring : w^hen the weather is clear and serene, and the 
moon does not give too much light. 

The aurora borealis has not always the same appearance. It is 
usually towards midnight that a brightness, similar to the dawn of day, 
begins to appear. Sometimes we observe streaks, and sudden jets 
of light, with white and luminous clouds in perpetual motion. ISut 
when this meteor is to be exhibited in all its perfection, we generally 
see (if the weather be calm and clear) towards the north, a thick and 
dark cloud; the upper part of which is edged with a Avhite and lu- 
minous border, which emits rays, brilliant jets, and resplendent pil- 
lars : which arising from m.oment to moment, grow yellow and red ; 
after^rard meet, unite, and form thick and luminous clouds ; and 
finally 'terminate in various coloured clouds, white, blue, fiery red, 
and the most beautiful purple : \vhence rays of light are continually 



SEPTEMBER XXV. 453 



Oa several nocturnal meteors. 



shooting out. At such a time, the aurora borealis is in all its pomp 
and splendour. 

How great is the magnificence of God ! Even the night itself pro- 
claims his majesiy. How can we complain that at this season, the 
nights are gradually increasing in length ; seeing they present us with 
such magnificent sights as interest both our minds and hearts ? The 
phenomena of which we have spoken, render the long nights of the 
inhabitants of the northern nations not only supportable, but even 
brilliant and pleasing. 

Our nights, which are much shorter, might, nevertheless, afford us 
diversified pleasures, would we pay a proper attention to such phe- 
nomena. May we accustom ourselves to raise, not only our eyes, 
but our hearts, to heaven ! May we soar beyond moons. and stars, to 
thee, our Creator ; that we may reflect on thy majesty, and silently 
adore thee when our eye is struck with the magnificent spectacle of the 
night! For thou, Lord, art great: the silence of the night loudly 
proclaims thy power and love. The moon in azure plains announces 
thy majesty ! The host of stars which burn in the firmament, cele- 
brate and praise thee ! The mild light of the aurora borealis^ which 
we see above our heads, discovers the perfections of our God. 



SEPTEMBER XXVI. 

THE FORMATION OF THE CHILD IN ITS MOTHER'S WOME. 

This seems to be one of the most impenetrable mysteries in ^i^" 
ture. For several centuries the most eminent naturalists hp'^ ^S" 
glected nothing to find out how the generation of man is efie-^^^' y^^ 
even to the present time we have nothing on the subject ^^^ co7ijeC' 
tares. The following seem to be the nearest the truth- 

The seminal liquor is properly what fecundates ^'^e egg in the mo- 
ther's womb : the matrix, or womb itself, is the place in which this 
fecundation takes place. This liquor is inclt'-cted in the semmal ves- 
sels, and by the assistance of a microscope; we can discover long and 
regular bodies, which seem to be divided mto an infinity of little globes. 
On each side the matrix, there is a substance of an oval form, which 
is supposed to be the ovaries ; and in which certain round vessels are 
found, full of clear lymph. When the most spirituous parts of the 
seminal liquor have penetrated the ovaries, fecundation takes place. 
The impregnated egg then detaches itself from the ovaries, ftiils into 
the matrix, and remains there till all is matured. Possibly the em- 
bryo may exist in miniature in the egg before impregnation ; and the 
seminalliquor may answer no other end than merely to stir up, ani- 
mate, and put the principle of motion into play, and so dispose it to 
unfold itself bv means of the warmth. 



454 SEPTEMBER XXVI. 

Fcrrnation of a child in its moiher's womb. 

Hovv'^ever the business of conception may be effected, it is a fact, 
that shortly after impregnation, the growth of the foetus becomes 
sensible. Three days after, a small bladder of an oval form is found 
in the matrix : the membrane of which it is formed is extremely fine, 
and it is filled with a lympid fluid, very near resembling the white of 
an ^gg. In this, some small connected fibres may be seen, which are 
the first rudiments of the foetus. Seven days after, a little oblong 
mass may be seen ; from the centre of which some fibres proceed, 
which are the first rudiments of the umbilical cord. Fifteen days 
after conception, the nose appears like a little prominent thread, the 
mouth like a line, the eyes like two black points, and the ears like 
two small holes : the arms and legs also begin to appear like small 
protuberances. At the end of twenty-one days the arms and legs are 
easily distinguished, the ribs, fingers, and toes appear like little 
threads. In oJie month the foetus is an inch long, and lies in a crooked 
posture in the surrounding fluid, and the human form is very per- 
ceptible. The toes and the fingers are distinct from each other ; the 
skin is extremely fine and transparent ; the viscera are like fine 
threads ; the bones still soft : the vessels which are to form the um- 
bilical cord, are as yet in a straight line, along side of each other. 
The placeiita occupies no more than the third of the whole mass, 
whereas at the first it occupied one half; but it has now increased 
much in thickness and solidity. The whole mass is still of an oval 
form, being, in its longest diameter, an inch and a half, and in its shor- 
test, an inch and a quarter : the two little skins become more and 
more apparent. In six iveeks the human form becomes perfect ; only 
t^^ head is longer than the proportion it should bear to the rest of 
the \o(iy. About this time the heart may be seen to move : and at 
this stb.-Te it has been known to beat a considerable time after it had 
been sepaic^^gj from the motner's womb. In two months the foetus is 
two inches k-,^ ; the ossification is evident in the legs and arms ; and 
in the point of ♦he lower jaw, which at this time projects much be- 
yond the upper ont; the umbilical cord also about this time begins 
to turn and twist. 'I}>ree months after conception, the foetus is nearly 
three inches long ; and h from six to sev^en, in/ozir months and a half. 
Then the ^ nails appear. If it be a male, the testicles may be seen 
enclosed in the belly below the reins. The stomach is filled with 
a certain thickish fluid, something like that in which the embryo 
floats : the small bowels containing a milky substance, and the large 
ones a black liquid matter. There is now a little bile in the gall- 
bladder, and a little urine in the bladder. The head is bent forward, 
the chin rests upon the breast : the knees are drawn up, and some- 
times almost touch the cheeks : the legs lie close to the thighs : one 
of the hands touches the face, and sometimes both ; at other times 
the hands hang dov/n along the sides. From this time the growth of 
the foetus goes on rapidly, and without interruption, till at the ninth 
month it abandons its prison, and emerges into day. 



SEPTEMBER XXVL 455 

Formation of a child in its motlier's womb. 

Behold an epitome of the history of the formation of a child in the 
womb ! What a number of things are included in it, which may well 
fill us with astonishment; and cause us to admire the power and 
wisdom of God ! The whole process, from the moment of our con- 
ception to that of our birth, is a series of wonders : and there may 
be many others which have escaped our notice, and which we cannot 
discover. Let this assemblage of wonders excite us to adore that God 
who has formed us. Let us look back only through a few years, and 
we find we had no existence ? And, how is it that we came out of 
nothing ? We have not created ourselves : that Infinite Being who 
created the world, has given us our existence : and why has he brought 
us into being ? Is it not that we might live in such a manner as be- 
comes the dignity of an intelligent creature, created and redeemed for 
eternal happiness ? 



SEPTEMBER XXVIL 

OF AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS. 

Besides quadrupeds, fishes, and birds, there is also a species of ani- 
mals which can live either on the earth, or in the water, and on this 
account are termed amphibious. They are all cold-blooded, have 
something gloomy and disgusting in every part of their form : of a dull 
and disagreeable colour; a bad smell, a hoarse voice; and many of 
them are very venomous. Instead of bones these animals have carti- 
lages. The skins of some are smooth, and those of others covered 
with scales. Most of them hide themselves in dirty infected places. 
Some are viviparous, others are oviparous. The former do not hatch 
their eggs, but leave them to the warmth of the air, or that of the 
water. Sometimes they even lay them on dunghills. Almost all 
creatures of this species live by prey, which they procure either by 
strength or subtlety. In general they can bear hunger a long time, 
and live a laborious life. Some walk, others creep : and this divides 
them into two classes. 

The first class consists of those which have feet. The tortoise, 
which belongs to this class, is covered with a kind of shell, resem- 
bling a buckler. Land tortoises are the smallest. Those that live 
in the sea are five ells in length, and from eight to nine hundred 
pounds weight. 

There are different kinds of lizards : some have a smooth skin, 
others are covered with scales. There are some which have wings, 
some without. Those with wings are called dragons. Among those 
which have no wings are reckoned the crocodile; the cameleon, 
which can live six months without food ; the salamander, which has 
the property of living some time in the fire without being consumed : 
because the cold slimy fluid which it throws out in all directions, ex- 
tinguishes the coals. The crocodile is the most formidable of all 



456 SEPTEMBER XXVIL 

Amphibious animals. 

this class. This animal comes out of an egg, which is about the size 
of that of a goose ; and grows to such a prodigious size, that it is 
from 20 to 30 feet long. It is voracious, cruel, and cunning. 

Sei-pents constitute the second, class of amphibious animals. They 
have no feet ; but creep by a winding vermicular motion, by means 
of the scales and rings with which their bodies are covered. The 
vertebras of their backs have a peculiar construction, which favours 
this sort of motion. Many of these serpents have the property of 
attracting birds, and other small animals, on which they prey : seiz- 
ed with terror at the sight of the serpent, and perhaps rendered 
giddy with its venomous exhalations, these birds have no power to 
fly away, but fall into the gaping mouth of their enemy. 

As the jaws of serpents may be greatly extended, they sometimes 
swallow animals whose bodies are larger than their own heads. 
Several serpents have fangs in their mouths very like their other 
teeth. These are a species of darts, which they let out and in as 
they please, and by this means they eject in the wound which they 
make, a poisonous humour, which comes from a little bag, placed at 
the root of the tooth. This poison has the singular property of be- 
ing injurious only to wounds ; for it may be taken internally without 
any danger. The serpents provided with arms which have been just 
JTiention(*d, are but about the tenth part of the whole species : none 
of the rest are venomous; though they will dart at men and animals 
with as much fury as though they could kill them. The rattlesnake 
is the most dangerous of all. It is ordinarily from three to four feet 
long, and as thick as the thigh of a full grown man. Its smell is 
strong and very unpleasant : it seems as if nature had designed this, 
as well as its rattles, to warn men of its approach, that they might 
have time to escape. This reptile is most furious when it rains, or 
when it is tormented with hunger. It never bites till it has coiled it- 
self into a circle ; but the quickness with which it assumes this form 
is incredible. To coil itself up, to prop itself upon its tail, to dart 
upon its prey, to wound and retire, are to it the work of a moment. 

Some probably may say, why has God created such animals, which 
seem only to exist for the torment and destruction of man ? This 
question, and many others like it, show that we only think of our- 
selves ; that we form rash judgments, and are prone to find fault with 
the works of God. Considered in this point of view, these questions 
are highly unbecoming and culpable. But if such questions be asked 
in order to get a deeper conviction of the \visdom and goodness of 
God in the works of creation ; they are not only proper in them- 
selves, but highly necessary to those who wish to know the reason 
why God has formed so many noxious creatures ? To those then, 
who are well disposed, and who seek information, I address myself. 
Perhaps it may appear to you, that such creatures as lizards and ser- 
pents were not created for the general good of the world. This 
judgment is rash ; for, if among amphibious animals, some are formed 
ijyhich do much mischief, it is certain that most of them are quite 



SEPTEMBER XXVII. 457 



Amphibious animals. 



harmless. And is it not a proof of the goodness of God that only the 
tenth part of serpents is venomous ? Besides, even those which are 
mischievous, have their bodies so formed, that it is generally easy to 
escape them. How formidable soever (for instance) the rattlesnake 
may be, it cannot conceal its approach : its rattles give us timely warn- 
ing to provide for our safety. It is also worthy of notice, that Pro- 
vidence has opposed to every reptile an enemy that can conquer it. 
The hog every where seeks the rattlesnake that he may devour it : 
besides, a child is strong enough to kill the most terrible of them ; for 
a slight blow with a stick across their back is almost immediate death 
to them. Further, it would be very unjust to dwell so much on the 
mischief which these animals 7?7«z/ "do us, without considering the good 
which they actually do. Some amphibious animals are useful for 
food ; others for medicine : and the shell of the tortoise is of very 
great service. In a word, the Divine wisdom is as conspicuous here as 
in all other things. To reflect on these perfections of the Lord, toad- 
mire and adore them, is a duty we should perform, when we behold 
creatures which appear to be injurious ; but it is always unbecoming 
in us either to condemn or murmur against his plans. And this would 
be still more culpable, as our understandings are too limited to com- 
prehend the various uses for which such creatures may be designed. 



SEPTEMBER XXVIII. 

THE PERFECTION OF THE WORKS OF GOD. 

V\7"hat can equal the perfection of the works of God ; and who can 
describe the infinite power v/hich is manifested in them ? It is not 
enough that their magnitude, number and variety, fill us with admira- 
tion ; for, each particular work is formed with such infinite skill, 
each is so perfect in its kind, that the exactness and regularity of his 
smiallest productions announce the unlimited grandeur and wisdom of 
their Author. We are, with reason, astonished at the diflerent arts 
which the moderns have invented ; by means of which they accom- 
plish things which would have appeared supernatural to our ances- 
tors. We measure the height, breadth, and depth of bodies; we 
know the orbits of the planets, and can direct the course of the 
rivers : we can raise or depress waters ; construct moveable build- 
ings on the sea; and we accomplish a number of other works, which 
are an honour to the human understanding. But what are all the in- 
ventions of men, their most magnificent and beautiful vrorks in compa- 
rison of the least of the works of God ? How weak, how imperfect 
the imitations ! How far is the original above copy ! Let the nH)st 
eminent artist employ all his power to give his work a pleasing and 
useful form ; let him smooth, perfect, and polish with all possible 
care ; and after all his labour, all his diligence, all his efforts, let him 

68 



458 SEPTEMBER XXVIII. 

Perfection of the works of God. . 

view this masterpiece through a microscope, and see how coarse, 
ill-shaped, and rough it will appear ! How great a want of regularity 
and proportion he will discover in it ! But whether we examine the 
works of the Almighty with the naked eye, or through a microscope, 
we shall always find them equally admirable and beautiful. Perhaps 
through the microscope they may appear very different from what 
tliey seem.ed to the naked eye ; but we shall ever see the most ex- 
quisite figures, together with incomparable proportion, order, and 
harmony. 

The Divine Wisdom has formed and arranged all the parts of each 
body with infinite skill, according to number, weight, and measure. 
Such is the prerogative of a power which is unlimited ; that all its 
Avorks are regular and perfectly proportioned. Admirable order 
reigns through the whole of his works, from the least to the greatest. 
All is in perfect harmony, all is well connected, so that we find no 
breaks ; no link is wanting in the immense chain of created beings : 
nothing is misshapen : every part is necessary to the perfection of 
the whole : and each part considered separately, is as perfect as it 
ought to be. Can we describe the innumerable beauties, t/ie varied 
charms, the pleasing mixture of colours and hues, with all the orna- 
ments so diversified, of the fields, plants, and flowers ; vallies, moun- 
tains, and forests ? Is there a single work of God, but has its pecu- 
liar and distinct beauty? Is not that which is most useful, at the 
same time the most beautiful ? What an astonishing variety of forms, 
figures, and sizes, do we see among inanimate creatures ? But, there 
is still a more abundant variety in animated nature : nevertheless, each 
is perfect, and nothing deficient, nothing exuberant is found in either. 
How great therefore, must His power be, who, by a single act of his 
will, has caused all these creatures to exist ! 

But, to admire the power of God, we need not go back to the time 
when his omnific word called all things out of nothing ; when every 
thing was instantaneously brought forth ; and yet in a state of perfec- 
tion. Do we not each spring behold a new creation? What can be 
more wonderful than the revolutions which then take place ? The 
valleys, fields, meadows, forests, all, in some sort, die at the end of 
autumn ; and nature is spoiled of all her ornaments in the winter. 
All animals languish, the birds hide themselves, and are silent ; all 
becomes desert, and nature appears benumbed and insensible. 
Nevertheless, a Divine power acts in secret, and labours for the re- 
newal of nature unobserved by us. Animation is restored to be- 
numbed bodies ; and every thing is in expectation of a sort of resur- 
rection. 

How can we be spectators so often of this magnificent spectacle, 
without admiring, with more profound veneration, the power and glo- 
ry*of the Most High ! How can we ever breathe the cool refreshing 
air, without being led to such reflections ? Does not God manifest 
him.self in nature, as well as in revelation ? Should we ever rest 
under the shade of a tufted tree, should we ever see a field enamel- 



SEPTEMBER XXVIII. 459 



Perfection of the works of God. 



led with flowers, a beautiful forest, or waving corn; should we ever 
pluck a flower, or enter a garden, without remembering that it is God 
who has given the tree its foliage, the flowers their beauty and per- 
fume ; the woods and meadows their pleasing verdure ; that it is He 
" who causes bread to spring out of the earth, wine that maketh glad 
the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine ?" Struck with 
admJration, and penetrated with gratitude and love, we shall exclaim 
with the Psalmist ; " Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom 
hast thou made them all ; the earth is full of thy goodness !" Psa. civ, 
14, 15—24. 



SEPTEMBER XXIX. 

FRUIT. 

This is the blessed season in which the Divine Goodness pours 
out to us fruits of every kind, in the richest abundance. " The 
charms of summer give place to more solid enjoyments: delicious 
fruits supply the absence of flowers. The golde^i pippin, whose 
beauty is increased by purple streaks, causes the branch which bears 
it to bend down. The mellow pear, and the pluin, whose sweetness 
rivals honey itself, display their beauty, and seem to invite the hand 
of their master." Should we not be inexcusable, if, at the sight of 
all these blessings with which we are laden through the munificence 
of God, we did not endeavour to sanctify the pleasures of autumn by 
reflecting on the kindness of our Maker ? 

With what wisdom has the Creator distributed fruit through the 
different seasons of the year ! It is in summer and autumn princi- 
pally, that nature has made us these rich presents : but, by the assis- 
tance of art, we are also favoured with them both in winter and 
spring : and our tables may be furnished with certain kinds, through 
the whole course of the year. From the beginning of June, nature 
herself, without the assistance of art, furnishes raspberries, gooseber- 
ries, and common cherries. The month of July furnishes our tables 
with cherries, peaches, apricots, and some kinds of pears. August 
seems rather to lavish than give its fruits ; figs, late cherries, and a va- 
riety of excellent pears. September provides us some grapes, winter 
pears, and apples. The presents of October are different kinds of 
pears, apples, and the delicious fruit of the vine. 

It is with this wise economy, that nature measures out, and distri- 
butes her gifts ; on the one hand, that we may not be overloaded 
with too great an abundance ; and on the other, that we may still 
have a successive variety of enjoyments. It is true, that in propor- 
tion as we advance into the winter season, the number of good fruits 
diminishes considerably : but art has taught us to preserve some even 
for this season. God has not thought proper to dispense with our 
labour in this business : he wills that we should be ever active ; and 



460 SEPTEMBER XXIX, 



Fruit. 



that we should diligently labour to supply our own necessities. 
Hence it is that God has distributed his blessings with such variety; 
and has purposed that they should spoil, or be destroyed, if proper 
care be not taken to preserve them. 

How abundantly has God distributed fruit to us ! Notwithstanding 
the continual ravages of birds and insects, there still remains a suffi- 
cient quantity to compensate for this loss. Reckon only, if possible, 
the number of fruits which a hundred trees bear in one favourable 
year ; and you will be astonished at the result, and admire that pro- 
digious multiplication which extends ad infinitum. 

And what was the design of such abundance ? If the propagation 
and preservation of trees w^ere the only design, much less would, 
without doubt, have answered that end. It is therefore evident, that 
the Creator wished to provide for the nourishment of men ; and in 
particular for the poor and necessitous. By giving them so much 
fruit, he has furnished them with a cheap mode of subsistence, both 
wholesome, nutritious, and pleasant : so that they have no reason to 
envy the rich their far-fetched dainties, so often injurious to health. 

There is scarcely any thing more nourishing than fruit. It is 
through the benevolent attention of Providence that we have them 
in a season when they are not only pleasing refreshments to us, but 
excellent medicines. Apples comQ seasonably in the heats of summer, 
because they moderate the heat of the blood, and cool the stomach 
and intestines. Plums have a grateful acid, and an unctous and 
emollient juice, which render them helpful in many cases. They 
purge gently, and correct the acrimony of the bile and other humours, 
which so often occasion inflammatory disorders. And, if there be 
certain fruits, the use of which is found to be unwholesome, as some 
think peaches, apricots, and melons to be, it is a proof that they are 
not designed for our climate, or at least for persons who cannot 
obviate, by the use of wine and aromatics, the evil effects which their 
excessively cooling quality may produce. 

Nothing can be more delicious than fruits. Every species has a 
flavour. peculiar to itself: and had they all the same taste, they would 
certainly lose much of their value ; but this variety renders them 
vastly more pleasing. Thus, God resembles a tender father, who 
provides not only for the support, but also for the pleasure of his 
children. 

While using fruits, let us never forget the bounty of the beneficent 
Being who has dispensed them. Let us feel it our most sacred duty, 
to consecrate ourselves entirely to the service of so tender a parent. 
How great shall our happiness be, if we sincerely devote ourselves 
to him ! What a blessed satisfaction, what pure and exalted pleasures 
shall we then taste ! And what a glorious hope may we indulge of 
future happiness ! 



SEPTEMBER XXX. 461 



A hymn of praLse, imitated from the cxlvii. Psahn. 



SEPTEMBER XXX. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE TO GOD, IBIITATED FKOBI THE CXLVII. PSALM. 

Praise ye the Lord, for he is omnipotent! He counts the stars, 
and calls them all by their names. Earth and heaven celebrate him ; 
his name is great and glorious; he governs with majesty; celebrate 
the Almighty ! 

Unite your voices to bless the God of love ! Ye who are distressed, 
come to him : come to your Father ; he is gentle, merciful, and 
gracious : every thing proves that he is a God of grace and love. 

His heavens become dark : but it is to water the earth with fruit- 
ful rains. Our fields are covered with verdure : grass grows, and 
fruits ripen ; for his clouds pour down his bounty. The Lord is full 
of kindness. 

Let every thing that has breath glorify the Lord I — Birds, beasts, 
fish, insects, nothing is forgotten ; all are objects of his care : all are 
nourished by his bounty. Let us magnify and praise our heavenly 
Father ! 

Behold how he supports and comforts those who trust in his mercy ! 
Often one friend cannot aid another ; and the greatest strength of man 
cannot save him from danger. Alas I Alas ! for the mortal who seeks 
vain supports ! — Rest on the Rock of Ages : he is the only Saviour. 

Render him thanks, because he has made his will known unto you ; 
and given you his laws and his precepts. His word is a source of life 
and salvation ! O ye people of his covenant, how great is your hap- 
piness ! Praise, celebrate, and exalt the God of truth ! 



SEPTEMBER XXX.^ 

TEE UNIVERSE INVITED TO PRAISE GOD. 

Great is the Lord ! Innumerable heavens are his pavilion : the 
thunder-cloud is his chariot, and the lightning- walketh by his side. 

The lustre of the morning is but the reflection of the hem of his 
garment; when his splendour goes forth, the light of the sun is 
eclipsed. 

Praise the mighty and gracious Lord, ye luminaries of his palace : 
ye solar rays, flame to his glory ! Thou earth, sing to his praise. 

Celebrate him, thou sea; foam, ye billows, to his honour ; ye rivers, 
praise him in your course ! Ye iions of the forests, roar to his 
glory ! Sing, sing to him, ye feathered inhabitants of the air ! 

Reiterate his praises, ye echoes ! Let all nature, in joyous concert, 
sing to his honour ! And thou, man, lord of this lower world, 
mingle thy thanksgiving with the universal harmony ! 



462 SEPTEMBER XXX.* 

Univers6d praise. 

He has done more for thy happiness than for all the rest : he has 
given thee an immortal spirit ; thou canst comprehend the structure 
of the universe, and art acquainted with the wheels of nature. 

Exalt him high for thy own salvation : he needs not thy praise to 
render him happy. When thou soarest up to him, thy low desires 
and base inclinations shall vanish away. 

Praise him when the sun rises from its ruddy bed ; praise him 
when it sinks down into the same ; to the voice of universal nature 
let thy voice be at all times united. 

Praise him in the rainy and dry seasons : in the tempest, and in the 
fair weather : when it snows ; when the ice renders the rivers impassa- 
ble and when the earth is covered with verdure ! 



OCTOBER 



OCTOBER I. 

A HYMN TO THE PRAISE OF GOD. 

All the heavenly hosts glorify the power and majesty of the Creator / 
and all the spheres which roll in the immensity of space, celebrate the 
wisdom of his works. The sea, the mountains, the forests, and the 
deeps, which a single act of his will has created, are the heralds of 
his love, and declare his power. 

Shall I alone be silent ? Shall I not chant a hymn to his praise ? — 
My soul longs to soar up to his throne ; and if my language be im- 
perfect, let my tears express the love I feel to my Father and my 
Friend. 

Yes, my tongue is that of a stammerer; but let the Most High see, 
that the holiest flame burns on the altar of my heart. But how shall 
I praise thee ? Could I take the beams of the sun for my pencil, I 
could not sketch a single ray of thy essence : the purest spirits can 
offer thee but imperfect praise. 

By what power is it that millions of suns shine with so much splen- 
dour ? Who has traced out the wonderful course of those rolling 
spheres ? By what bond are they connected ? By what power are 
they influenced? It is by thy breath, Jehovah! It is by thy al- 
mighty word. 

All proceeds from thee. Thou didst speak, and worlds sprang into 
existence : then was our globe produced. The birds and fish, the 
cattle, and the wild beasts which sport in the forests ; and, finally, 
man himself came to inhabit it, and rejoice in thy works. 



OCTOBER I. 463 



Hymn to the praise of God. 



Thou cheerest our sight with delightful and variegated prospects ; 
our eyes wander over the green field ; or contemplate the forest 
which seems to touch the clouds ; sometimes they view the sparkling 
dew-drops, with Avhich thou waterest the flowers; or follow the 
windings of the limpid stream, in which the trees are reflected. 

In order to break the violence of the winds ; and at the same time 
to afford us the most enchanting prospects, the mountains arise, and 
from them the wholesome springs proceed. Thou waterest the dry 
valleys with rain and dew : thou coolest the air v/ith the gentle 
breeze. 

It is through thee that the hand of spring spreads the green carpet 
under our feet : it is thou who gildest the ears of corn ; and tingest 
the grape with its purple hue ; and when the cold comes to benumb 
nature, thou wrappest her up in a glittering veil. 

By thee the human mind penetrates even to the starry heavens ; 
by thee man knows the past, and can discern truth from falsehood, 
the appearance from the reality : by thee he judges, desires, or fears : 
by thee he conquers death, and escapes from the tomb. 

Lord ! My tongue shall rehearse thy mighty acts : only disdain not 
the praises of him who, before thee, is but a feeble worm. Thou 
who readest ray heart, deign to accept the emotions which it feels, and 
the gratitude which it is unable to express. 

When thy mercy shall encompass my head with an immortal crowrt, 
and I shall be presented faultless before the presence of thy glory, 
then shall I exalt thy majesty with praises more sublime. happy 
moment ! long desired, and ardently wished for, hasten thy appear- 
ance ! Then shall joy, without any mixture of sorrow, for ever over- 
flow my heart. 



OCTOBER II. 

THE EFFECTS OF FIRE. 

Nothing in nature can exceed the violence of nre ; and we cannot, 
without, astonishment, reflect on the eflecls which it produces in all 
bodies, and the extreme activity of its particles. But how few attend 
to these effects, or judge them worthy of their observation ? In all our 
domestic affairs, we daily feel the beneficial influence of fire ; and per- 
haps this is the reason that we commonly pay so little attention to it. 
It is my duty, however, to put the reader in mind of this divine benefit, 
and cause him, if possible, to feel all its worth. 

One effect of fire, which falls under every person's notice, is that of 
dilatmg the bodies which it penetrates. A piece of iron, fitted to a 
hole in a metal plate, so that it may easily pass through when cold, 
will not enter when hot ; but let it cool, and it passes through as easi- 
ly as before. 

This dilation produced by fire, is still more sensible in fluid bo- 
dies ; particularly in wine, beer, and air j were it not for this, the 



464 OCTOBER II. 



Effects of fire. 



thermometer, by which we measure the different degrees of heat, 
would be entirely useless. 

Observe the effect of fire on compact inanimate bodies : how soon 
do they melt and are changed, partly into a fluid, and partly into a 
solid of a different sort ! It communicates fluidity to ice, oil, and all 
fat substances, and to metals in general. What renders these bodies 
susceptible of this change is, that their combination is more simple, 
and that the particles of which they are composed, are more homo- 
geneal than those of other bodies. The fire penetrates their pores 
more easily, and succeeds sooner in separating the parts from each 
other. Hence it is, that some of these matters evaporate, when the 
fire penetrates them in too great a quantity, and with too much vio- 
lence. Some solid bodies undergo other changes : sand, flint, slate, 
quartz, and spar, vitrify in the fire : clay is changed by it into stone ; 
marble, calcareous stones, and chalk, are turned into lime. These 
different effects do not proceed from the fire, but from the different 
properties uf those bodies on which it acts. It may produce three 
different effects on the same body, viz. melt, vitrify, and reduce it 
into lime : provided the body be composed of three different mat- 
ters : the one metalic, the other vitrijiable, and the third calcareous. 
But fire by itself produces no new substance; it only discovers those 
parts which were before hidden in the bodies on which it acts. 

As \o fluids, fire produces two effects on them: it causes them to 
boil, and reduces them to vapour. These vapours are formed of the 
most subtile particles of those bodies united to particles of fire. 
Hence it is that the vapours ascend, because they are lighter than 
air. 

As to animals, fire produces, through all parts of their bodies, the 
sensation of warmth. Without this element the life of man could 
not be preserved ; for a portion of fire is requisite in the blood to 
keep it in motion. In order to preserve this motion and warmth, 
we every moment imbibe a portion of fresh air, to which fire is ever 
united : while, on the other hand, we expel the air which, having 
remained sometimes in our lungs, had lost its elasticity, and was 
loaded with superfluous humours. 

All these reflections should confirm us in this important truth, that 
God refers every thing to the welfare of mankind ; and that he con- 
stantly places proofs of his love every where before our eyes. How 
many advantages accrue to us from the effects of fire only ? By the 
union of fire and air the seasons are renewed ; the moisture of the 
soil, and the health of men preserved. By means of fire, water is 
put in motion ; and without this it would speedily lose its fluidity. 
By its gentle action in all organized bodies, it brings them gradually 
to their complete perfection. It preserves the branch in the bud ; 
the plant in the seed ; and the embryo in the egg. It prepares our 
food properly : it contributes much to the formation of metals, and 
renders them, fit for use. Finally : when we collect the various pro- 
perties of fire, v-^e may see that through it the Creator has dispersed 



OCTOBER 11. 465 



Effects of ftre. 



a multitude of blessings over the whole globe : a truth which ought 
to be deeply impressed on our hearts ; and excite us to love the Au- 
thor of our being; and inspire us with contentment. The more we 
search into the nature of things, the more we shall see that all concur 
to the accomplishment of the most perfect end. Every where we may 
observe magnificent plans ; a wonderful order, connexion, and constant 
harmony between the parts and the ivhole ; the means and the end. 
To be convinced of this requires no extraordinary exertions of mind : 
let us only contemplate nature quietly ; and by the aid of our senses, 
we shall, in most cases, be fully assured that all the works of God are 
full of wisdom and goodness. 



OCTOBER III. 

THE INSTINCT AND INDUSTRY OF BIRDS. 

Birds have already afforded us many innocent pleasures. Now 
that a great part of these sprightly inhabitants of the air have disap- 
peared, and will not return for a considerable time, let us once more 
reflect upon them ; and let the subject excite us to meditate, with the 
most lively sentiments of gratitude and joy, on their Creator and ours. 
We may find great pleasure in considering the different instincts 
which God has given to birds. None of these instincts is superflu- 
ous, or useless : each is indispensably necessary to the preservation 
and well-being of the animal ; and the little we know of this subject, 
is sufficient to give us the most exalted idea of the wisdom and good- 
ness of God. 

In the first place, when we reflect on the instinct which leads birds 
to move ; w^e may find, in that alone, a just subject of admiration. 
Experience may convince us that bodily motions require more than 
strength and well-formed pliant limbs. It is not till after many trials 
and falls that we are able to balance ourselves ; to walk with ease, to 
run, leap, rise up, and sit down ; and yet these motions seem more 
easy to bodies constructed like ours, than to birds. These animals 
also have two feet ; but their bodies do not rest perpendicularly on 
them, they project both before and behind ; and yet a chick will stand 
straight, and run about almost as soon as it is out of the shell. Young 
ducks, just hatched by a hen, know their own element, and swim about 
in the water without example or instruction. Other birds know how 
to rise up from .their nests into the air, balance themselves, pursv^e 
their course, making equal strokes with their wings in true time ; 
stretch out their feet to balance their body; use their tail like aji oar, 
or rudder, to direct their flight ; and make long journeys from their 
native country to unknown regions. 

They also provide their food with admirable art : an art which 
ihey bring into the world with them. Some birds, though not aqua- 
tic, live on fish : they must necessarily find it more diificult to seize 

59 



466 OCTOBER III. 



Instinct and industry of birds. 



their prey than water-fowl. Who teaches them their natural instinct 
in this case ? They stand on the brink of the strange element, and 
when a shoal of fish comes (which they can discover at a distance) 
they pursue them, skim along the surface, and suddenly dive into the 
water, and carry off a fish. Who gave the birds of prey their pierc- 
ing sight, courage, and the weapons, without which they could not 
possibly subsist ? Who points out to the stat'k the place where she 
may find frogs and insects to feed on ? In order to find them she must 
seek them not only in the meadows, but also in the furrows of the 
field ; she must continue her search till near the morning, when the 
other birds awake. What incredible strength must the condour have, 
seeing it can carry away a sheep, or a deer, and prey upon an ox I 
How can we reconcile with the wild nature of the quail, a character- 
istic which no education can entirely correct, that maternal instinct 
which causes her to adopt little birds of every species, which she not 
only takes under her protection, but bestows on them the tenderest 
cares! What cunning does the crow use to secure the prey which she 
Cannot devour at once ? She hides it in places such as other crows do 
not frequent ; and when she is hungry again, how well does she know 
the magazine where she has laid it up ! 

We might spend many years in multiplying observations of this 
kind ; without being able to explain the principal mysteries contained 
in the instincts of birds. But even the little Ave do know of this sub- 
ject may tend, in a most pleasing manner, to engage those whose 
hearts are disposed to contemplate the works of nature, and to exalt 
them to still more noble pursuits. To this point I wish to conduct 
the reader. Let none be contented with barely considering the in- 
stinct and faculties of birds : this should be only the first step to su- 
blimer meditations. Let our admiration of these faculties raise our 
hearts to that God from whom they\iZLVQ received them: and who has 
prepared and combined so many things for the subsistence and mul- 
tiplication of this part of his creatures. Let us not say that nature 
teaches these birds this art, or that industry which surprises us so 
much : if you separate nature from its Author, it is then a word des- 
titute of meaning. Let us rather glorify the Creator, and acknow- 
ledge that it is He alone who gives wisdom even to the fowls of the 
air^ 



OCTOBER IV. 

ANIMAL REPRODUCTIONS. 

Here we discover a new scene of wonders which seem totally to 
contradict the principles which have been adopted relative to the 
formation of organic bodies. It has long been thought, that animals 
could only be multiplied either by eggs or young ones ; but this 
principle must be admitted with some caution : as it is still liable to 



OCTOBER IV. 467 



Aiiimal reproductions. 



several exceptions. It is now found that there are some animal bo- 
dies which may be divided into as many complete bodies as we please; 
for each part will speedily repair what is deficient in cider to make 
a complete animal, after having- been separated frora its original. It 
is now no longer doubted, that the polypus belongs to the class of ani- 
mals ; although it resembles plants, not only in its form, but also in 
the mode of its propagation. The bodies of these zoophites may be 
cut, either across or lengthwise, and these bits will become so many 
complete polypes : even from the skin, or smallest bits cut off, there 
will grow one or more of these animals. And if several bits cat off 
be put together at the ends, they will reunite so perfectly, and nou- 
rish each other, that they soon become one and the same body. This 
discovery has given rise to other experiments, which have proved 
that polypes are not the only animals which can live and grow after 
being cut in pieces. 

The common earthimrm will multiply after being cut in two. To 
the tail part there grows a head, and the two parts then become two 
complete worms. After having cut the worm in two, it would be in 
vain to attempt to unite- the parts : they will never join. They 
remain for some time in the same state, only grow a little smaller : 
afterwards, at the cut extremity, a little whitish button begins to 
appear, which grows larger, and then lengthens by degrees. Shortly, 
after rings appear, which are at first very close together, but extend 
insensibly on all sides. It then forms itself new lungs, a new heart, 
a new stomach, and with these several other organs. 

The following experiment may be made daily with snails. Cut off 
their heads close to their horns, and in a certain space this head will 
be reproduced. 

A similar change takes place in crabs : break off one of their claws, 
and put the animal again into its element, and in some time the claw 
will be entirely reproduced. 

Another very wonderful experiment has been made by Mr. Duma- 
hel, on the thigh of a chicken. After the thigh bone, which had beenr 
broken, was perfectly restored, so that a callus was completely form- 
ed, he cut off all the flesh even to the bone ; the parts w^ere gradu- 
ally reproduced, and the circulation entirely restored I 

We are convinced then that some animals are perpetuated by be- 
ing divided : and we cannot doubt, that the young of certain insects 
may be produced in the same way as a branch is from the tree : that 
they may be cut in pieces, and the smallest piece become a complete 
animal : that they may be turned inside out like a glove, cut in 
pieces, and then turned again ; and nevertheless stil'l eat, live, grow, 
and propagate ! Here a question arises, which no naturalist can an- 
swer in a satisfactory manner ; how can these parts, thus cut off, be 
again reproduced ? It must be taken for granted, in this case, that 
germs are spread through every part of the body; while, in other 
cases, they are confined to one part. These germs unfold them- 
selves, when they meet with proper nourishment : thus, in cutting 



468 OCTOBER IV. 



Animal reproductions. 



one of these animals, the germ is furnished with the requisite juioes, 
which would have been conducted elsewhere, had not their course 
been thus interrupted. The superfluous juices cause those parts to 
unfold themselves, which without this would have continued attached 
to each other. Every part of the polype, and the worm, contains in 
itself all the viscera necessary to the animal ; as the bud does all the 
rudiments of the tree. These parts, essential to life, are dispersed 
over all the body, and the circulation is carried on even in the small- 
est parts. 

As we cannot comprehend all the means which the Author of na- 
ture may make use of to distribute life and feeling through such a 
prodigious multitude of beings ; so we must not assert that the 
animals already mentioned are the only ones which, in reference to 
their mode of propagating, are exceptions to the general rule. The 
fecundity of nature, or rather the infinite wisdom of the Creator, must 
ever surpass our weak conceptions. The hand that has formed the 
polypus and the earthworm, has showed us that it can, when necessary, 
simplify the animal constitution. It has simplified them more still, 
and descending always by insensible gradations, has arrived at the 
utmost limits of animal nature : but of these utmost limits we are 
ignorant : let us feel a deep conviction of this ignorance, and admire 
and adore the Supreme Wisdom. It is never more sublime than in 
those cases in which it is impossible for us to discover its footsteps. 

These animal reproductions should remind us of the great change 
which shall take place in the day of the resurrection. What we see 
now in miniature, will be then manifested in magnitude. What we 
now observe in other bodies, we shall then experience in our own, 
from the smallest particles a body will spring up fitted for the enjoy- 
ment of an eternal felicity. 



OCTOBER V. 

THE ORGANS OF TASTE. 

We should not be so happy as we really are, if we had not the 
faculty of distinguishing different kinds of meat and drink by tasting. 
The great variety of fruit at this season, may naturally lead us to re- 
flect on this subject. Our pleasure would be greatly diminished, if 
the pear, the apple, the plum, and the grape, had all the same flavour. 
The power to distinguish them, or, in other words, the sense of taste, 
is a gift of God's goodness, and a proof of his wisdom, on which we 
should reflect with gratitude to our Creator. 

But by what means do we taste, and distinguish our food ? The 
tongue is the principal organ : and, that it may answer this end, its 
surface is covered with nervous papillse, by means of which we dis- 
tinguish the flavour of the salts which dissolve on the tongue. Tast- 
ing, iherefore depends on the nerves ; and this is clearly seen in 
dissecting the tongue; for, after the membrane which covers it is 



OCTOBER V. 469 



The organs of taste. 



taken off, a multitude of roots, where the nerves terminate, appear ; 
and these are the nervous papillas that give us the sensation of taste : 
and where these are not, the sensation is wanting. 

When we put highly flavoured things under the tongue, we are 
scarcely sensible of it till they are attenuated; and till we bring 
them on its surface ; then we distinguish their flavour : consequently 
the sensation of taste is in its full force only where the nervous pa- 
pillae are most numerous ; and this is the part nearest to the throat. 
To be further convinced that tasting is occasioned by the nerves, we 
need only examine the tongue of a dog, or a cat. On their tongue 
the nervous papillae are situated towards the root ; the forepart is des- 
titute ; but the palate is covered with them ; hence it is that these 
animals have no sensation of taste in the tip of their tongue. 

Let us continue our reflections for a few moments longer on this 
subject. How ingeniously is this organ of taste formed : all the parts 
of which no anatomist has yet been able to find out ! Is it not a proof 
of great wisdom, that the tongue should have more nerves and fibres 
in proportion than any other part of the body ; and that it should be 
full of small pores, that salts, and all savoury particles, should penetrate 
deeper, and in greater quantity, into the nervous papillae ? Is it not a 
proof of the same wisdom, that the branches of the nerves which 
are spread over the palate and throat to assist mastication, should 
extend their branches towards the nose and eyes, as if to inform the 
organs of sight and smelling that they should contribute their part 
toward the discernment of food ? Another thing worthy of admiration 
is, the duration of the organs of taste. Notwithstanding th« delicacy 
of their structure, they last longer than instruments of stone or steel. 
Our clothe? wear out, our flesh fades, our very bones dry up ; but 
the sense of taste survives them all. What admirable designs may 
we discover even in the apparatus of these organs ! man, thou art 
the only creature that knows he is endowed with senses ; and the 
only one capable of raising himself towards God by the contemplation 
and use of these organs. 

Strenuously endeavour, by the assistance of Divine grace, to make 
a proper use of these faculties. If thou wilt not acknowledge the 
goodness of thy Creator, who shall render him that homage ? Thou 
enjoyest more through the sense of taste than any other creature : 
for the animals have but few things on which they like to feed ; but 
thy Creator has prepared for thee meats and drinks as various as they 
are abundant. Reflect on the abundance which the animal, vegetable, 
and mineral kingdoms, provide for thee. " Heaven and earth, air and 
ocean, pay thee tribute. Wheresoever thou turnest, thou mayest be- 
hold the gifts of God. The tops of the mountains, the bottom of the 
valleys, and the beds of lakes and rivers, furnish thee with aliments 
and pleasures." 

It is reasonable that we should highly esteem this gift of our Crea- 
tor ; but let us not esteem it beyond the design of the donor. The 
sense of taste is given us to be the means of accomplishing a noble 



470 OCTOBER V. 



The organs of taste. 



end. How indescribably foolish would it be to make the whole of 
our happiness consist in those pleasures of which this sense is the 
organ ; and to live only to please the palate with savoury meats and 
delicious drinks I Let us take care not to bring ourselves to a level 
with the brute, whose principal happiness consists in eating a^d drink- 
ing. Let us remember that we have an immortal soul, which cannot 
be satisfied but by the Supreme Good. To have a true taste for this 
good, earnestly to desire to be nourished by it, is that wherein the 
wisdom and true felicity of the man and the Christian consist. 



OCTOBER VI. 

THE GOVERNMENT^ OF GOD WITH RESPECT TO NATURAL EVENTS. 

All the events which take place in the sky, on the earth, in the 
sea, and in the air, are regulated according to prescribed natural laws. 
But it would be foolish not to acknowledge a particular influence of 
God, which directs natural things according to his own views; and 
causes them to concur in accomplishing his own designs. He makes 
use of natural causes to chastise mankind ; and thus, at his command, 
the air is pure or corrupt, the seasons fruitful or unproductive. He 
prevents or assists the designs of men; sometimes by winds and 
storms ; and sometimes by the flux and reflux of the sea. It is true, 
that God does not in general interrupt the course of nature ; but it is 
equally true, that nature cannot act without his energy and concur- 
rence. The parts of which the visible world is composed, cannot 
use their power as they please ; and God can influence his creatures 
without reversing the order of nature. Fire, water, wind, and rain, 
have their natural and particular causes, and particular virtues : but 
God uses them in a manner suitable to their nature, to execute his 
designs. He makes use of the heat of the sun to warm the earth, 
and render it fruitful. He employs the rain and the wind to purify 
and cool the air, but it is always in such a way, and in such a degree, 
as best consists with his own views. 

A great part of these blessings and evils which we experience here 
below, proceed from surrounding objects ; but as God interests him- 
self in all that happens to man, he must of course influence these ob- 
jects, and act through every part of nature. On this are founded the 
rewards and punishments of virtue and vice. Peace and prospe- 
rity crown the one : and ^yhen he pleases, famine and pestilence 
scourge the other. In a word, all natural causes are in the hand of 
God, and immediately under the guidance of his providence. Men 
themselves furnish proofs of this. How often does their industry 
triumph over nature ! They cannot indeed change the essence of 
things ; but they know how to use natural causes so that eflects may 
result from them, which would never have taken place had it not been 
for the art and direction of man. Now, if the Most High has, in some 



OCTOBER VI. 471 



Government of God with respect to natural events. 



measure, subjected natural thmg-s to human industry, with how much 
more reason may he reserve to himself the direction and government 
of all these things ? 

From all this we may conclude, how necessary it is that a particii' 
iar providence should watch over the government of the world. 
Natural causes are doubtless excellent instruments : but in order that 
they may be useful, they must be put into the hands of a skilful work- 
man. It would be an unreasonable wish that God would change the 
established laws of nature: for instance, if we should fall at anytime 
into the fire or into the water ; and that we should not be burnt by the 
one, nor drowned in the other. Nor is Divine Providence obliged to 
preserve us, when we shorten our lives by our own intemperance ; for 
it is not to be expected that God will work miracles to save men from 
those evils which they bring upon themselves by their irregularity and 
misconduct. It is our duty to attribute to a particular providence all 
those kind dispensations which relieve our wants, and fill our hearts 
with joy. But all the disorders of nature are, at the same time, effects 
of the wrath of God, who makes use of them for the punishment of 
sinners. It is on this truth, that on one hand we found our prayers 
and supplications for the blessings of heaven, peace of conscience, and 
fruitful seasons ; and, on the other, our thanksgivings to God for the 
manifold mercies we receive from his hand. 



OCTOBER VII. 

THE INEXHAUSTIBLE RICHES OF NATURE. 

Nature is so liberal to us, so abundant in means to supply the 
wants of all creatures, so rich in gifts, that they can no more be num- 
bered than the drops of water in the ocean. 

How many things does one single man need in the course of a life of 
sixty years! How much is necessary for eating, drinking, clothing; 
for the sweets, conveniencies, pleasures, amusements and duties of 
society ; without mentioning extraordinary cases, and unforeseen 
wants and accidents. From the king to the beggar, in all states, con- 
ditions, and ages in human life ; from the infant to the old man ; in all 
nations of the earth, and according to the different modes of life for 
the inhabitants ; each person has his particular wants : what suits one 
will not suit another, and all require different kinds of food, and means 
of subsistence. Notwithstanding this, we iind that nature provides 
for all, and liberally supplies every want ; so that each individual re- 
ceives all that is necessary for his support. Since the foundation of 
the world the earth has not failed to open her bosom ; the mines have 
not been exhausted ; the sea always furnishes subsistence for an infi- 
nity of creatures ; and plants and trees have_ always produced seeds 
and germs, which shoot forth and become fruitful at their proper sea- 
sons : beneficent nature varies her riches, that she may not be top 



472 OCTOBER VIL 



Inexhaustible riches of nature. 



much exhausted in one place ; and when one kind of plants, fruits, 
and other provisions, begin to fail, she produces others, and does it in 
such a manner, that the desire and taste of mankind should lead them 
to prefer those which are most abundant. 

Nature is also a wise economist, who takes care that nothing shall 
be lost. She knows how to turn every thing to profit. Insects serve 
for food to the largest animals : and those are useful to man in one way 
or other. If they provide him not with food, they afford him clothing, 
or arms and means of defence : and some which are not profitable for 
any of the above purposes, procure him at least useful medicines. 
Even when disease diminish certain kinds of animals, nature repairs 
that loss by an increase of others. Even the dust, dead carcasses, 
putrid and corrupted matter, are all made use of by her, either for food 
to certain insects, or manure for the earth. 

How rich also is nature in beautiful and delightful prospects ! Her 
most beautiful attire requires only light and colours : with these she is 
abundantly provided, and the appearance which she presents us, is 
continually varied according to the different points of view in \vhich 
they are seen. Here the eye is struck with beauteous forms ; there 
the ear is charmed with melodious sounds ; and the smell is regaled 
by exquisite perfumes. In other places art comes in to add new em- 
bellishments to nature, by a thousand labours of her industry. The 
gifts of nature are so abundant, that even those which are continually 
used never fail. She spreads her riches over all the earth : she varies 
her gifts according to the different countries : she gives and receives ; 
she establishes, by means of commerce, such relations and connexions 
between different countries, that her presents pass through innumera- 
ble hands, and increase in profit and value by this continual circula- 
tion. She combines and mixes her gifts, as the physician does the 
ingredients in his prescriptions : the great and the small, the beauti- 
ful and the homely, the old and the new, combined and properly tem- 
pered together, form one whole, equally useful and pleasant. Such in 
the hands of God, are the inexhaustible riches of nature. 

And what are we that we should daily enjoy these blessings ! How 
often has kind nature in our behalf opened her liberal hand, and shed 
around us her abundant gifts ! But how many spiritual blessings, infi- 
nitely more precious, fall to our lot ! Nature is rich, but grace is 
infinitely more so. The former can only supply our temporal neces- 
sities : the latter satisfies the wants, and enriches the poverty of our 
souls. The former undoubtedly provides a variety of pleasures : but 
to the latter we owe blessings that shall last for ever. Nature charms 
and invigorates our senses : grace seizes on the whole soul, and pene- 
trates it with ineffable joy. May we know and feel that we owe our 
all to the goodness of God ! May all the blessings with which he 
loads us from the kingdom of nature, and the kingdom of grace, kin- 
dle our love more and more, and perfect our confidence in him ! 
" What ! Shall we not glorify so good a God ? Shall we not acknow- 
ledge his bounty? Shall zd^e shut our ears when he calls? Shall we 



OCTOBER VII. 473 



Inexhaustible riches of nature. 



refuse to walk in the path which he has marked out ? No ! Let us 
rather meditate on the love with which he has honoured us ; and let 
us love him who has first loved us. The Lord has never forgotten us 
a moment since we hegan to exist; and while we live may we never 
forget Him !" 



OCTOBER VIII. 

PETRIFACTIONS. 

The transition of different substances from the animal or vegetable 
kingdom into the mineral, is a peculiarity of natural history which is 
well worth our attention. Fetrif actions are properly a species of 
metals, the explication of which casts a great deal of light on the na- 
tural history of the earth. 

The first thing to be remarked in petrifactions is, their external 
form ; this proves that these fossils have indubitably appertained to 
the animal and vegetable kingdom. We seldom find petrifactions of 
any part of the human body ; and those of quadrupeds are nearly as 
scarce. The most extraordinary skeletons found in the earth are 
those of elephants ; some of which are found even in different parts 
of Germany. Petrifactions of aquatic animals, are frequently to be 
met with ; sometimes whole fish are found, the smallest scales of 
which may be easily distinguished. But all this is nothing in compa- 
rison of the multitude of shells and worms, apparently converted into 
stones, in the bowels of the earth. Their number is not only prodi- 
gious, but there are so many different species, that living animals, 
corresponding to some of them, are entirely unknown. Petrifactions 
of marine substances are found in great abundance in all countries. 
They are found even on the tops of high mountains, some thousands 
of feet above the level of the sea. Many are found at different 
depths in the earth. All sorts of plants and parts of vegetable sub- 
stances, are found petrified in different strata of the earth : but these 
are often the impressions only, the subtances themselves being en- 
tirely destroyed. In many places whole trees are found buried at 
different depths in the earth, apparently converted into stone ; these 
petrifactions however do not appear to be of an ancient date. But 
how have all these petrified substances got into the earth ? And par- 
ticularly how could marine substances get to the tops of such high 
mountains ? How could animals, whose ordinary habitation is the 
sea, and which belong to no other element, be transported so far 
from their natural abode ? 

For this phenomenon different causes may be assigned. Probably 
these petrifactions prove that the water has formerly covered the 
greater part of the earth : and indeed, as in every place we search, 
from the tops of mountains to the great depths of the earth, we meet 
with all sorts of marine substances ; it seems as if it could not be ac- 



474 OCTOBER VIII. 



Petrifactions. 



counted for otherwise. The great quantity of petrified shell-fish 
found at considerable heights, and which form regular beds, incline 
us to believe that these heights made formerly a part of the bottom 
of the sea : and this opinion acquires strength from this consideration, 
that the present bottom of the sea exactly resembles the surface of 
the earth. We have but a very imperfect knowledge of the manner 
in which nature brings about these petrifications. It is certain that 
no body can undergo this change in the open air ; for animal and ve- 
getable substances consume or rot in this element : therefore the air 
must be excluded from the places in which these petrifactions take 
place, or at least, its action must be suspended. Dry earth has no 
petrifying quality : as to running waters, they may form a crust on 
particular bodies ; but they cannot change them into stone. The 
very motion of the water prevents this. It appears, therefore, pro- 
bable, that petrifactions require soft moist earth, greatly impregnated 
with dissolved stony particles. These stony fluids penetrate the 
pores or cavities of animal and vegetable substances, and become con- 
solidated as the parts of these bodies are dissipated by evaporation, 
or absorbed by alkaline substances. 

From what has been remarked, we may draw some consequences 
which throw light on this phenomenon. 1. All animals and vegeta- 
bles are not equally proper to become subjects of petrifactions ; for 
in order to this they require a certain degree of firmness, which pre- 
vents their rotting before this operation is completed. 2. Petrifac- 
tions are principally formed under the earth, and the place where 
they are formed must neither be too wet nor too dry. 3, All stones 
which include petrifactions, or constitute the matter of them, are not 
original productions, but such as are daily formed : such as calca- 
reous stones, indurated clay, compacted sand, the loadstone, and 
similar substances. 4. Petrified bodies are of the nature of these 
stones, being sometimes calcareous, sometimes like slate, &c. 5. 
Hence it appears, that petrifactiori is not the transmutation of one 
body into another, but properly the substitution of one body for ano- 
ther ; whose appearance and form the stony particles assume for the 
reason given in the first inference. 

If petrifactions were of no other use than merely to throw light on 
the natural history of our globe ; even on that account they highly 
deserve our attention. But we may also consider them as proofs of 
the operations and changes which nature works in secret; and in this 
also the wonderful power and wisdom of God are particularly manir 
fested. 



OCTOBER IX. 475 



Operations of nature are gradual. 



OCTOBER IX. 

ALL THE OPERATIONS OF NATURE ARE GRADUAL. 

We may observe an admirable gradation in nature ; or an insensi- 
ble progress from the most simple to the most complex perfection. 
Therefore there is no intermediate space which has not some cha- 
racteristic of what proceeds and what follows. In a Avord, there is 
neither a void nor a break in nature. 

Dust and earth are the principle and matter of the composition of 
all solid bodies. Therefore these are found' in all bodies decompo- 
sed by human art. From the union of earth with salts, oils, sulphurs, 
&c., result different kinds of earths more or less compound, light, or 
compact. These lead us insensibly to the mineral kingdom. There 
are a great variety of stones ; and their form, colour, size, and hard- 
ness, are very different. In them we find all sorts of saline and me- 
tallic particles ; whence minerals and precious stones proceed. In 
the latter class of stones some are found which are fibrous, and have 
laminas, or a kind of leaves, as slate, talc, lythophytes, or stony marine 
plants; the amianthus, or stony-flower of mines; and these lead us 
from the mineral to the vegetable kingdom. The plant which ap- 
pears to occupy the lowest part of vegetable gradation is the trujle. 
Next come the numerous species of mushrooms and mosses, between 
which, mould on paste, &c., seems to form the connecting medium. 
Ail these plants are imperfect, and properly only constitute the limits 
of the vegetable kingdom. The most perfect plants are divided into 
three grand families, which are distributed over the earth, viz, herbs, 
shruhs, trees. 

The polypus seems to unite the vegetable and animal kingdoms. 
From its outward appearance this singular production might be taken 
for nothing more than a mere plant, were it not seen to perform real 
animal functions. This zoophite seems to form the connecting link 
between plants and animals. Worms, which are at the commence- 
ment of the animal kingdom, lead us to insects. Those worms whose 
bodies are enclosed in a stony or scaly shell, seem to unite insects and 
shell-fish. Between them, or rather next to them, are found reptiles ; 
these, by means of the water-snake, are united to fish. The fiying- 
fi^h leads to the foivls. The ostrich, whose feet very nearly resemble 
those of the goat, and who runs rather than flies, seems to connect birds 
with quadrupeds. And the ape joins hands with quadrupeds and men. 

There are gradations in human nature, as well as in all other 
things. Between the most perfect man and ape, there are an asto- 
nishing multitude of links. And how many must there be between 
the most perfect man and the lowest angel : and how many more still 
between the highest archangel and the Creator of all things ! Here new 
gradations become evident; new plants, new beauties, and new per- 
fections ! But the gradations in the spiritual w^orld are hidden from 
us by an impenetrable veil. However, for our comfort, we under- 



476 OCTOBER IX. 



I 



Operations of nature are gradual. 



Stand, from revelation, the immense space between God and the cheru- 
bim is filled by Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh. By him 
human nature is exalted and glorified : by him we are raised to the 
first rank of created beings ; and have liberty to approach the throne 
of the Supreme God. 

Let us reflect on these gradations of nature : the little that has 
been said may suflice to show us, that every being is intimately 
blended in its beginnings and endings with others ; and that the whole 
universe is linked together in all its parts. There is nothing in it 
without design : nothing but what is an immediate effect from a pre- 
ceding cause ; or which does not determine the existence of some- 
thing that is to follow. Nature proceeds not by leaps : all goes on 
gradually; from the component to the composed ; from the least to 
the most perfect; from the nearest to that which is furthest off'; 
from inanimate to animate ; from corporeal to spiritual perfection. But 
how imperfect still is our knowledge of this immense chain of beings ; 
"We have only a glimpse of this gradation ; know but a few of its 
boundaries, and some ill-connected, broken links of the great chain. 

And yet, defective as our knowledge is in this respect, it is never- 
theless sufficient to give us the highest idea of this admirable series, 
and infinite diversity of beings which constitute the universe. And 
all leads us to that infinite Being, between whom and us there is a 
distance which no understanding can measure. He is the only being 
who is beyond all the links of the chain of nature. From the grain 
of sand to the seraphim, every being owes its existence to him. 
Let us often endeavour to ascend to him on the ladder of his crea- 
tures. From the dust out of which we were formed, let us, on the 
wings of devotion, soar to that God who is the first of beings ; the 
infinite, the incomprehensible Jehovah ! Let us long for the time in 
which we shall be introduced into the blessed assembly of glorified 
spirits ; where the universe shall be unveiled before us, and where 
we shall know God as we have been known. While we live here 
below, we go on to perfection by insensible gradations. We proceed 
from ignorance to wisdom and understanding; from corporeal to 
spiritual ; from weakness to spiritual strength. " Our life is only 
beginning ; it is only in its dawn : let us expect a greater light. — Let 
us not murmur against Him, who wills that we should sojourn here 
awhile in dust and darkness : he loves that dust which he has form- 
ed ; and if found faithful, will one day raise us to the most exalted 
degrees of glory." 



OCTOBER X. 

THE ?ALL OF THE LEAF. 

We already begin to see the ravages which the approach of winter 
makes in the forests, and in the gardens. All plants, a very few ex- 
cepted, lose their leaves, which are one of their principal ornaments. 



OCTOBER X. 477 



The fall of the leaf. 



But what can the cause of this be ? That which seems the most na- 
tural is, the cold : for as soon as the first frost sets in, the leaves fall 
in abundance, and the vegetables are soon spoiled of their dress. 
This indeed cannot be otherwise, seeing the cold causes a stagnation 
of the sap in plants, and prevents the leaves from perspiring. But 
cold is not the only cause of their fall ; for this happens even in 
those winters when there is no frost ; and to those trees which are 
kept in green houses to preserve them from the cold : it is probable, 
therefore, that other causes concur to strip the trees of their leaves ; 
perhaps they wither because the root no longer furnishes sufficient 
sap for their perspiration : for it is evident that the branches increase 
for some time in thickness, when they cease to grow in length. 
When therefore the branches continue to grow thick, and the stalks 
of the leaves do not increase, their fibres must be necessarily detach- 
ed from the fibres of the branches, and then the leaves must fall of 
course. 

But we must not suppose that these fallen leaves are entirely lost, 
and of no manner of use. Both reason and experience declare the 
contrary. Nothing is useless in the world : nothing perishes ; and 
consequently the leaves which fall from plants and trees have their 
use ; they rot and become manure for the earth. Snow and rain 
separate the salts from them, and convey thsm to the roots of the 
trees. Further, where the fallen leaves are strewed on the ground, 
they preserve the roots of young plants, become a covering for seeds, 
and keep up a proper degree of humidity and warmth. This is par- 
ticularly the case in respect to the leaves of the oak. They furnish 
an excellent manure, not only to the tree itself, but also to the young 
shoots ; and they are very useful for forest pasturages, as they favour 
the growth of the grass, which they cover, and on which they rot. 
These advantages are so important, that fallen leaves are seldom col- 
lected to make dunghills of, unless they have fallen in such abundance 
as rather to choak the grass than to nourish it. 

Leaves may serve for manure in various ways. They are spread 
in stables instead of straw : and they make a very good litter for cat- 
tle ; and sometimes they are mixed with other kinds of manure. 
The mould they produce is very useful in gardens, where layers are 
made of it, which contribute much to the growth of fruits and young 
trees. 

But it may be said, that the fall of the leaf is peculiarly destructive 
to a multitude of insects, which live on the leaves of plants and trees. 
It is true, that autumn sweeps away whole swarms of insects, with 
their nests : but does it follow hence that these creatures perish ? 
Why may they not live even on the ground, under these very leaves 
which cover and protect them from the cold ? 

The fall of the leaf is an emblem, not only of life, but of the 
frailty of all earthly things. " / a^n as a falling leaf; death tvalks by 
my side : to-day I may wither ; and to-morrow he converted into dust."" 



478 OCTOBER X. 



The fall of the leaf. 



I hang by a thread, and may be deprived of all my beauty and 
vigour in a moment. A little cold air may put a period to my life ; 
and my body be turned into earth. But if we leave behind us the 
well-ripened fruits of righteousness, love, and holiness, we shall die 
honourably, and may leave this world without regret. 



OCTOBER XL 

DIFFERENT KINDS OF EARTH. 

We can only form conjecture concerning the inside of the earth. 
Those who work in mines have not been able to go lower than 900 
feet. Were they to attempt to go farther, the great pressure of the 
air would kill them ; supposing even that they could protect them- 
selves from the water, which increases in proportion as we descend. 
But what is the depth of 900 feet in comparison of the semi-diameter 
of the earth, which is 3982 miles ? The inside of the earth must 
consequently be in a great measure unknown to us. Miners them- 
selves have scarcely as yet penetrated through its jfirst crust. All 
that we know is, that after we have dug some hundreds of feet in 
depth, this upper crust is found to be composed of different strata, or 
beds placed one on the top of the other. These strata or layers are 
very much mixed, and their direction, matter, thickness, and relative 
position vary considerably in different places. 

Generally under common earth, in gardens, clay and fat earth are 
found : and sometimes alternate layers of clay, sand, and ma:rle. 

The manner in which these different strata of earth are classed is 
quite arbitrary : they may be less or more extended ; but in compa- 
ring the accounts given by different writers, the following appears to 
be the best ; and this divides earth into seven different classes. 

1. Black earth : this is composed of putrified vegetable and animal 
substances. It contains many salts, and much inflammable matter. 
This is what is commonly called dung. 

2. Clay : this is more compact than black earth, and retains water 
longer on its surface. 

3. Sandy earth : . this is hard, light, and dry ; it neither retains 
water, nor is dissolved in it. It is the worst kind of earth, though 
some kinds of plants may grow in it. 

4. Marie : this is softer, more mealy, less hard, and attracts mois- 
ture better. 

5. Bog, or moss earth : this contains a vitriolic salt, which is too 
acid for plants. 

6. Chalk: this is dry, hard, and brittle: notwithstanding a few 
plants can thrive in it, and 

7. Scah'ous or stony earth. The smoothest stones, however bare 
of earth, are at least covered with moss, which is a mere vegetable 



OCTOBER XI. 479 



Different kinds of earth. 



production ; and birch is known to grow between stones, and in the 
clefts of rocks, and grows also to a considerable height. 

The Creator has most wisely arranged these different kinds of 
earths, of which the strata are composed. For, to mention only the 
principal advantages which result from them ; these different layers 
of sand, gravel, and light earth, give an easy passage to fresh water, 
which is filtered in passing through these different beds, becomes 
soft, and is afterward distributed on all hands for the supply of men 
and animals. These strata are also the reservoirs and canals of 
springs and fountains. And it is remarkable, that such canals are 
found in every country over the whole globe : and that they are in 
general composed of light earth. If it be sometimes mixed with a 
more harsh and gravelly soil, the water is consequently still better 
purified. This variety of soils is of great utility in the vegetable 
kingdom : for it is owing to this that herbs, plants, and trees, grow of 
themselves in certain countries ; while in others they cannot be pro- 
duced without the assistance of art. All that art can do, is to imitate 
nature ; which prepares and proportions to plants, which grow of 
themselves, the soil, nutritious juices, and warmth which are neces- 
sary to their vegetation. This same variety of soils is the cause 
why certain herbs, roots, and trees, have their internal structure dif-* 
ferent from those of the same species which grow on other soils. 
It often happens, that some plants thrive while others languish in the 
same soil. The same fruits have a different flavour in some coun^ 
tries, from what they have in others. Plants w^hose roots are weak, 
small, and delicate, and which have but little sap, should be sown 
and planted in a sandy, light soil, that the roots may extend them- 
selves without meeting with too mtich resistance ; a soil into which 
the rain may easily penetrate, and where the roots may not meet with 
too many saline, acid, or oleaginous particles. 

It is asserted, that in the space of forty-eight hours, lettuce, cauli- 
flower, sallads, &;c., may be produced fit to eat, if the seed be first 
steeped in brandy, and the ground in which they are sowed mixed 
with pigeon's dung, and powder of slack lime. A proper preparcrtioa 
of the soil is indispensably necessary for vegetation. 

What has been said should induce us to acknowledge with what 
wisdom the Creator has disposed each soil for the production of 
plants and for the benefit of his creatures. It would therefore be 
very unjust to complain of the sterility of such and such soils : for 
the Creator has ever taken care that the different countries, which 
he has assigned for the residence of man, should produce every thing- 
necessary for his subsistence. If there be any soils which appear 
less fertile than others, the Creator has compensated that defect by 
greater advantages ; or he has given the inhabitants of such places.. 
greater skill and ability for labour. 



480 OCTOBER XIL 



Wine. 



OCTOBER XII. 



Wine is a gift of the Divine Goodness ; and should excite our ad- 
miration and gratitude. It might have been thought sufficient that 
God had given us bread, and other aliments necessary for our sup- 
port, in abundance : but he has not confined himself to this ; he has 
provided also for our comfort and pleasure : therefore, to render our 
lives still more comfortable, and to confirm and pre^serve our health, he 
has created the vine. 

Other beverages, whether natural or artificial, do not produce 
these effects in the same degree. Wine alone has the power of 
banishing sadness, and of inspiring that cheerfulness which is equally- 
necessary to the well-being of our bodies and minds. Its spirituous 
parts speedily recruit our exhausted strength. Bread strengthens 
man for labour, but wine enables him to act with courage, and ren- 
ders his labour pleasant. Spirtuous liquors produced by art, cannot 
diffuse over the countenance that air of cheerfulness which wine 
gives it. And here let us reflect on God, who has communicated to 
this salutary juice qualities so superior to the baseness of its origin, 
and the sterility of its native soil. The Creator has produced these 
effects by the mixture of oily, saline, and volatile particles ; of which 
all wines are composed. 

But how greatly is the Divine goodness manifested in the abun- 
dance and variety of wines. Their different kinds are innumerable. 
They vary in colour, smell, taste, quality, and duration. We might 
almost say, that there are nearly as many different kinds of wine, as 
there are soils ; for the Creator has assigned to each country such 
wines as are best adapted to the climates, the constitution, and mode 
of life of the inhabitants. 

But how blameably have men acted in reference to the use of 
wine ! There have been some legislators, who have severely prohi- 
bited the use of it ; and this not by considerations drawn from the 
health and manners of the people, but for false reasons of economy, 
and sometimes merely from fanaticism. It is at least certain, that 
to these causes united we must attribute Mohammed's prohibition of 
this liquor. This objection to wine is the more unreasonable, as the 
greater part of the people who prohibit the use of the liquor, permit 
the eating of grapes. 

Another fault of which men are guilty is, the adulteration of 
wines ; especially that which is made by lime, white-lead, litharge, 
and other noxious ingredients. In this the human heart discovers 
itself in all its deformity and sinfulness : can there be any thing much 
more detestable ? A poor sick man endeavours to assuage his suffer- 
ings, and recruit his exhausted strength by a little wine, which he pur- 
chases by a part of his scanty earnings : and they who adulterate this 
article have the barbarity to increase his sufferings, and render him 



OCTOBER XII. 481 



Wine. 



more miserable, by presenting him with a poisoned cup, from which 
the unfortunate person drinks death instead of the life and strength 
he expected ! But a still more sham.eful and deplorable abuse of it 
is, that some men, by an immoderate use of it, poison themselves* 
This liquor is a wholesome remedy : it supports animal life, and con- 
tains vital spirits which warm and animate the humours and increase 
and establish the strength. But its continual and excessive use pre- 
vents all these good effects. Thus used, it is to the human body 
what so much manure is to the garden ; it hastens the fruit, but de- 
stroys the tree. A wise gardener will not continually manure and 
enrich his ground ; he does this only in proper measures, and in pro- 
per times. He manures the trees when it is necessary, and ^ives 
them that portion only which their wants and nature require. This 
is the proper regimen fbr wine ; he who does not attend to it will 
ruin both his body and soul. 

Let us profit by these counsels, and never use wine without reflec* 
tion : nor for the mere pleasure of drinking. Let us ever remem- 
ber, that without the Divine blessing, the most necessary aliments 
would fail : that it is our heavenly Father who gives this wholesome 
fluid to strengthen and refresh us : and that without his blessing, wine 
itself w^ould become a poison and principle of death. We should 
seriously attend to these things, and think on the account we must 
give to God for the use we have fnade of the aliments which his di- 
vine goodness has granted us ; we should therefore take care that we 
abuse none of them ; but make such a moderate use of wine, and 
every other blessing, that our health may not be injured, nor our un- 
derstanding disturbed ; that we may never be found incapable of per- 
forming the duties which Christianity, and our secular business require 
of us. We shall not then seek our happiness in wine : but, on the 
contrary, rather abstain from it, or any other gratification, at particular 
seasons, that we may save something for the poor and the distressed. 
Thus the aliments which God condescends to give us, will excite our 
gratitude and love more and more to the Dispenser of all good : we 
should use them only that we may be the more fit to serve God with 
zfal and fervour ; and fill up the duties of our respective callings. 
And w^e should remember particularly that these divine gifts, however 
excellent, are the least of those which God's grace is unceasingly dis- 
pensing : and that blessings and pleasures, infinitely more perfect, are 
reserved for the righteous in the world to come. 



OCTOBER XIII. 

THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 

This is the time when most of those birds which, in summer, found 
habitations and food in our fields, gardens, and forests, are about to 
leave our climate and pass into other countries. Very few spend the 

61 



482 OCTOBER XIII. 



Migration of birds. 



■winter with us : the yellowhammer , the chaffinch, the croiOi the roxeUy 
the sparrow, the wren^ the partridge, the robin, and the fieldfare, are 
the principal. Most of the rest hide themselves, or leave us entirely. 
This migration is wonderful in every point of view : if then we have 
not sufficiently considered these creatures during their s4ay with us, 
we should at least pay some attention to them now, when taking their 
leave. Perhaps this may lead us to consider them more particularly 
when they return in the spring. 

Some kinds of hirds, without taking any high flight, or setting off 
in troops, draw gradually towards the south, to seek those seeds and 
fruits which they like best ; but they speedily return. Others, which 
are termed birds of passage, collect at certain seasons, and fly off in 
large flocks to other climates. Some others are content to pass from 
one country to another at certain times, attraeted by the air and food. 
Others pass the seas, and undertake voyages of a surprising length. 
The best known birds of passage are, the quail, the sicallow, the icild 
duck, the plover, the snipe, and the crane, with some others which live 
on worms. In spring the cranes pass from Africa into Europe, in order 
to enjoy a moderate warmth. They come in flocks often like clouds ^ 
and sometimes being nearly spent, they alight on vessels, and are 
taken without any difficulty. Swallows act in a difTerent way : many 
cross the seas, and many continue in Europe, and hide themselves in 
holes of the earth, or in marshes, fastening themselves together, claw 
against claw, and beak against beak. They pile themselves in heaps 
in such places as are unfrequented by men and beasts. Wild-ducks 
and cranes also go at ihe approach of winter to seek milder climates. 
They all assemble on a certain day, and set off in a flock. They com- 
monly arrange themseives in two lines united in one point like a wedge, 
or an inverted \, with a bird at the head, and others following in two 
lines, more and more extended. The duck, or cro.ne, which forms the 
point, cuts the air, and renders the passage easier to those that fol- 
low, whose beaks always rest on the tails of those before. The leader 
is charged with this commission only for a time. He passes from the 
head to the tail, rests himself, and is replaced by another. But all 
birds of passage do not go in flocks ; there are some which travel 
alone ; others with their females and young ; and others in small flocks. 
They perform their journey in a very short time. It has been com- 
puted that they may easily go 200 miles in six hours each day, sup- 
posing they can take rest at intervals or during the night. Accord- 
ing to this calculation, they may pass from our climates to the equi- 
noctial line in seven or eight days ! This conjecture has been veri- 
fied, as swallows have been seen on the coasts of Senegal on the 9lh 
of October ; i. e. eight or nine days after they left Europe. 

These migrations cannot be too much admired. Doubtless the 
difference of heat and cold, and want of food, warns them to change 
their abode. But how comes it, when the air is so mild that they 
might still remain with us, and their food is still found in sufficient 
quantity, that they never fail to set off at the appointed time ? How 



OCTOBER XIII. 483 



Migration of birds. 



do they know that they shall iind, in other climates, the necessary food 
and warmth ? How is it that they all take their departure from us 
at the same time, as if they had beforehand unanimously fixed the 
day of their journey ? How can they, notwithstanding the darkness 
of the nights, and their ignorance of the road and the countries to 
which they go, still hold on a direct course? These, and other ques- 
tions on this interesting subject, are very embarrassing; and hitherto 
have received no satisfactory answer; probably, because we do not 
sufficiently know the instinct and nature of those creatures. How- 
ever, we must acknowledge the kind direction of Providence in these 
migrations. What wonderful means does Providence use to feed and 
preserve certain classes of birds I With what tender care does he 
provide for their subsistence, when it fails them in some countries ! 
Let us learn from this, that all in the great empire of nature is ar- 
ranged with the utmost wisdom. Is not instinct the same to birds of 
passage, as reason is to man ? And does it not teach them, what rea- 
son, if they had it, would dictate, viz. to change their habitations in 
proper time ? 

How much ashamed should we be of our unbelief, of our distrust 
and perplexities, when we reflect on these admirable directions of 
Providence I These voyages of the birds should instruct us in our 
duty. How is it that we so often abandon ourselves to discourage- 
ment, anxious cares, and fears ? Will not that G ^d who so guides the 
fowls of the air, lead us with equal tenderness, whom he has endued 
with reason ? Can man, the king of animals, be less an object of the 
tender care of God than they ? The whole earth is the Lord's ; and 
should we be found in any country w^iere we cannot fulfil the counsel 
of God, his beneficent hand can conduct us to such places as shall be 
more suitable to us. Let us, therefore, follow his merciful directions 
with confidence and joy. 

" I will walk with God my leader, nor will I choose a crooked 
path ; but take that which he marks out for me. He wills my happi- 
ness, and I cannot be miserable while led by my kind Father. I will, 
therefore, follow him step for step with a filial confidence. 



OCTOBER XIV. 

VARIETY OF TREES. 

The same diversity may be observed among trees, as is seen in 
other parts of the vegetable kingdom. Some, as the oak, are distin- 
guished by their strength and hardness. Others are tall and slender, 
as the elm and^?-. There are others, as the thorn^w^ box-tree, which 
never arrive to a considerable height. Some are knotty, and have 
rough bark, while others are smooth and beautiful, as the maple, the 
poplar and the birch. Some are used in those precious works which 
adorn the apartments of the rich and great : while others are em- 



484 OCTOBER XIV. 



Variety of trees. 



ployed for the most common and necessary purposes. Some are so 
slight and weak, that a little wind overthrows them : others are firm, 
and resist the violence o^the northern blasts. We see some that grow 
to an extraordinary height and thickness : and each year for a century 
past, seems to have added something to their size. Others require 
but a few years to come to their full growth. 

Pliny admired, in his time, trees, out of whose bark boats were 
constructed capable of holding 30 men ! But what would he have 
said of those trees of Congo, which may be hollowed out into boats 
capable of holding 200 persons ? Or of those trees which, accord- 
ing to accounts of travellers, are eleven feet in diameter ; and on 
which they can carry a load of four or Jive hundred quintals, or up- 
wards of 50,0001bs. weight ? There is one of this kind in Malabar^ 
which we are informed is 50 feet in circumference ! The cocoa-tree, 
which is a species of palm, is of this kind ; some of them have leaves 
broad enough to cover 20 persons. The tallipot, a tree which grows 
in the island of Ceylon, and in height resembles the mast of a ship, is 
also celebrated for its leaves ; they are said to be so large as easily 
to cover 15 or 20 men from the rain ! They are so pliant when dry 
that they may be folded up like a fan : in this state they are ex- 
tremely light, and not thicker than a man's arm. Twenty-three ce- 
dars still remain on Mount Lebanon, which some think have escaped 
the ravages of the deluge : if this be so, they must be the strongest 
trees in the world. A learned man who has seen them assures us, 
that ten men cannot fathom one of them. They must, therefore, be 
30 or 36 feet in circumference, which seems even too little for trees 
which are supposed to have lasted nearly six thousand years. The 
gum-trees which are found in the American islands, are ordinarily 26 
feet in circumference. 

It is not likely that these cedars of Lebanon are as old as has been 
reported : although it is well known that some trees live to a very 
great age. There are apple-trees which are certainly not less than a 
thousand years old ! And if we compute the quantity of fruit which 
such a tree bears annually, we must (as has been noticed elsewhere) 
be astonished at the prodigious fecundity of a single pippin; which 
would have been sufficient to have furnished all Europe with trees 
and fruits of this sort ! 

This great variety among trees should remind us of the difference 
we observe among men, relative to their occupations in life, their 
modes of thinking, their talents, and the service they perform. As 
there is not one well grown tree in the forest which may not be of 
some use to its owner ; so there is no member of society, but may be 
useful in his particular profession. One, like the oak, is remarkable 
for his firmness and unshaken constancy, which nothing can move. 
Another has not so much strength as the former, but he has more 
complaisance and address ; he becomes all things to all men ; is as 
flexible as an osier, and bends with every breath. If he be an up- 
light man, he will comply only in things innocent and lawful : but if 



OCTOBER XIV 486 



Variety of trees. 



he be indifferent about God, his duty and religion, he will always take 
the strongest side. 

However different trees may be from each other, they all belong to 
the Ruler of the universe ; all are nourished by the same earth ; all 
are vivified by the same rain, and warmed by the same sun. Would 
to God ! that all men, whatever diversity there might be among them, 
would unite to acknowledge that they are all equally the creatures of 
God ; equally subject to his power ; equally the objects of his tender- 
est cares ; that they owe their being and support to him ; and have 
received from his hands the various talents with which they are en- 
riched I The cedar which rears its majestic head on the top of Leba- 
non, and the bramble which, creeps at its feet, are both nourished by the 
juices of the earth, and the rains of heaven. Thus the Divine bless- 
ing is equally necessary to the rich and the poor. The most eminent 
and most powerful among men, should ever remember that they owe 
their elevation and grandeur to God ; that they are supported by him 
alone ; and that in a moment he can root them up, overturn and reduce 
them to dust. 

This consideration will help to repress every motion of pride which 
may rise in their hearts, and inspire them with that submission and 
obedience which they owe to the Author of their being. 



OCTOBER XV. 

TEMPERATURE OF THE WEATHER IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE 

EARTH. 

It seems that the state and warmth of countries should be regula- 
ted according to their relative position to the sun ; as that planet casts 
his rays in the same way on all countries which are in the same degree 
of latitude. But experience teaches us, that heat and cold, and tem- 
perature in general, depend on many other circumstances. The sea- 
sons may be very different in places under the same parallel : and, on 
the contrary, are often very much alike in very different climates. As, 
therefore, accidental causes may make the heat very different in the 
same latitude, and since it is very far from being always such as the 
distance of the sun seems to require, it is difficult to determine exactly 
the seasons and temperature of any country. 

The vicinity of the sea causes a milder climate. England, and the 
coasts of Norw^ay, are indubitable proofs of this. The sea may be 
frozen near the shore, because it is there mixed with a good deal of 
fresh water ; but this does not take place at any considerable distance 
from the land : partly because of the salt which is diffused through 
the sea; and partly because of its continual agitation. Thus the 
cold at sea never comes to the freezing point ; during the winter the 
adjacent countries benefit by it, the temperature of the weather be- 
ing much milder. On the contrary, the more a place is elevated 



486 OCTOBER XV. 



State of the weather in different regions of the earth. 

above the surface of the water, the greater the cold is. The air is 
not only more thin, and consequently less warm, but the greater 
part of the heat which is produced by the earth's reflecting the sun's 
rays, does not take place on high lands, but remains in low places and 
valleys, where the warmth is always greatest. Besides, if there be, 
as some think, a subterranean central fire, the higher lands are at the 
greatest distance from it. Quito is almost under the line ; but its ele- 
vation causes the heat to be more moderate. However, such coun- 
tries have always a serene and light air, and the temperature is pretty 
equal. High mountains attract the clouds, hence rains and tempests 
are more frequent in hilly countries than elsewhere. And we know 
that it scarcely ever rains in the plains of Arabia. Countries where 
there are great and extensive forests are very cold : the ice in such 
places melts more slowly in winter because the ground is covered with 
the shade of the trees. The ice cools the superior air, and this fresh 
cold prevents the thaw. 

What also moderates the heat in warm climates is, that the days 
there are not very long: and the sun does not continue long above 
the horizon. In colder countries the days are very long, and this is 
the reason why the warmth is greatsr in these places than might be 
expected. The serenity of the sky, the clear light of the moon, and 
the long twilights, render the long nights more supportable. Under 
the torrid zone the seasons are not distinguished so much by winter 
and summer, as by dry and wet weather : for when it ought to be 
summer, or when the sun rises most above the horizon, and the rays 
fall in the most direct manner possible, then the rains commence, and 
continue for a longer or shorter time. But in those countries the most 
pleasant season is when the sun has the least elevation. In the coun- 
tries beyond the tropics, the weather is more uncertain than within 
the tropics. In spring and autumn the winds prevail most. In win- 
ter the earth freezes to a greater or less depth, but scarcely ever be- 
yond three feet in our climate. . In the more northerly countries it 
freezes much deeper in winter, and thaws but a few feet in summer. 
The ponds, lakes, and even the rivers are covered with ice: first near 
the shore, and afterward over the whole surface. The different 
quality of soils, and the property they have of retaining less or more 
of that heat they have acquired, contribute something to the difference 
of climates. 

In all these arrangements we may discover such wisdom and good- 
ness as we cannot sufficiently admire. In regulating the temperature 
and seasons of different countries thus, the Creator has rendered 
every part of the earth habitable by men and other animals. We 
often form false ideas concerning the torrid and frigid zones ; and 
foolishly imagine that the inhabitants of those regions must be the 
most wretched creatures in the universe. Happily for the world, 
and for the great satisfaction of all feeling hearts, it is certain that 
the people of the most distant countries, not excepting even those 
liiider the line, or near the north pole, enjoy a portion of happiness 



OCTOBER XV. 487 



state of the weather in different regions of the earth. 



suited to their nature and destination. Every country has its advan- 
tages and disadvantages, which so counterbalance each other, that, 
laying prejudice aside, it would be difficult to determine which of 
these countries deserves the preference. There is no corner of the 
earth in which the goodness of God is not manifested. " From our 
climates to the most distant zones, all is full of the goodness of the 
Lord. All the inhabitants of the globe experience his paternal kind- 
ness. Not one of his creatures is forgotten. All that breathe derive 
life, nourishment, happiness, and joy from him." 



OCTOBER XVI. 

THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARTH. 

The air, by which the earth is encompassed, is neither so pure, 
nor so subtile as the ether ; being impregnated with a multitude of 
particles or exhalations, which are continually detached from the 
earth, and especially from the waters. This is called the atmosphere. 
Its lower region, or what is next the earth, is pressed by the supe- 
rior air, and consequently is more dense. This is sufficientljr evident 
to persons who ascend high mountains , their respiration becomes 
more difficult in proportion as they ascend. But it is not possible to 
determine the exact height of the atmosphere •. for men cannot as- 
cend very high in it> JN either can we infer, with certainty, from the 
duration of twilight, how far the mass of our air extends. For 
granting that the morning twilight begins, and that of the evening 
ends, when the sun is eighteen degrees below the horizon; and that 
the latter is produced by the rays which strike the earth, and are 
reflected by the highest parts of the atmosphere, still there would 
remain many difficulties to be cleared up. However this may be, 
the atmosphere is generally divided into three regions. The lower 
region extends from the earth to the place where the air is no longer 
heated by the rays w'hich the earth reflects. This region is the 
warmest. The middle region begins where the preceding one ends, 
and goes to the summit of the highest mountains, or even the highest 
clouds ; this is the space where rain, hail, and snow are engendered. 
This region is much colder than the preceding, as it is not heated by 
the rays of the sun which pass through it in a perpendicular line. 
But the third region is yet colder : it extends from the middle region to 
the utmost height of the atm.osphere ; but its limits canxiot be exactly 
ascertained. 

The particles which ascend from the earth into the atmosphere, 
are of different sorts : some aqueous, some metallic, some sulphu- 
reous, &c. Now as some of these abound more in one place than 
in another, hence the great variety in the air, which is very sen- 
sible even at a moderate height. A heavy air is more favourable 
to health than a light one, because it promotes the circulation of the 



488 OCTOBER XVI. 



Tlae atmosphere of the earth. 



blood, and insensible perspiration. When the air is heavy, it is 
generally clear : whereas a light air is generally accompanied with 
clouds, rain, or snow, which renders it damp. Exhalations increase 
the weight of the air, and particularly when the heat causes them to 
ascend to a great height. The air continues light, notwithstanding 
the aqueous vapours with which it is filled. 

Too great a dryness of the air is very injurious to the human 
body : but this seldom happens for any length of time, except in 
sandy countries. A damp air is very unwholesome, because it re- 
laxes the fibres, obstructs insensible perspiration, and if heat accom- 
pany the dampness, it disposes the humours to putrify. An air too 
hot dilates all the fluids of the body, and occasions sweatings, which 
bring on weakness and oppression. On the other hand, when the air 
is too cold, the solid parts contract excessively, and the fluids are 
condensed ; hence result obstructions, and inflammations. The best 
air is that which is neither too heavy nor too light, too moist nor too 
dry, and which is not impregnated with noxious vapours. 

It is in the atmosphere that clouds, rain, snow, dew, lightning, and 
many other aerial phenomena, are engendered. It is to the atmos- 
phere that we owe our morning and evening twilight; as the rays of 
light are refracted and reflected, and bent in different directions in 
this mass of air; we see them before the sun rises, and enjoy them 
some time after he is set. Hence it is that the people under the polar 
circles enjoy some rays of light, even while the sun is for a long time 
below their horizon. 

The atmosphere is the habitation of the winds, which have such 
influence on the fertility of the earth, and the health of man. Cities 
and provinces would be speedily deprived of their inhabitants, and 
changed into dreary deserts, were the air never to be agitated. 
The whole world would become one charnel-house, if there were 
not frequent storms and tempests to purify the air, and disperse those 
noxious vapours and exhalations, the bane of men and beasts, which 
are continually floating in the atmosphere. 

What reasons have we to bless the Creator for this advantageous 
arrangement of nature. Were there no atmosphere, or were it dif- 
ferent from what it is, our earth would be a chaos, a most wretched 
abode for its different inhabitants. Let us acknowledge with grati- 
tude the gracious wisdom of our Creator, who has regulated every 
thing in nature so as to promote the happiness of all the beings he 
has formed. We should always remember, that every advantage we 
derive from the atmosphere, comes from that God who is the dis- 
penser of all the blessings of nature. A proper consideration of the 
benefits which we receive from God, cannot fail to excite every 
emotion of piety and gratitude. Let us love our Creator with our 
whole souls, and devote ourselves entirely to him ! 



OCTOBER XVII. 489 



Proportion between births and deaths. 



OCTOBER XVII. 

ANNUAL PROPORTION BETWEEN BIRTHS AND DEATHS. 

That God has not abandoned the life of man, and the preservation 
of the human race, to blind chance, but watches over us with paternal 
care, evidently appears from the exact proportion in which (in every 
nation of the world, and in all times) men come into life and depart 
from it. By means of this equilibrium, the earth is neither too 
thinly peopled, nor overstocked with inhabitants. Yet the number 
of those who are born is generally greater than those who die : for 
we find that twelve or thirteen persons are born annually for ten that 
die. Thus the human race is continually multiplying. Were not 
this the case, and were the number of deaths greater than the num- 
ber of births, in a few ages a whole country would be depopulated; 
particularly as various accidents may injure population. The princi- 
pal hinderances to population are pestilence, war, famine, celibacy, 
and confinement in cities ; especially those which are very populous, 
for in such nearly as many die as are born. 

Baptismal registers show us, that more males than females are horn. 
The proportion is nearly twenty-one to twenty. So that where 1050 
males are born, there are only 1000 females. But death, the mili- 
tary life, and divers accidents, restore the balance between the two 
sexes. In cities there are generally more women than men : in the 
country the case is reversed. 

The number of children, relative to that of families, is also regu- 
lated with great wisdom. It is computed, that in sixty-six, families 
there are only about ten children baptized annually. In a populous 
country, out of fifty, o^ fifty -four persons, only one marries each year; 
and each marriage, one with another, produces yb2^r children; but in 
cities, only twenty-five children are reckoned to ten marriages. Men 
capable of bearing arms, make the fourth part, ordinarily, of the in- 
habitants of a country. 

By comparing the bills of mortality of different countries, it is found, 
that in common years, i. e. in such years as there is no epidemic dis- 
order, there dies, 

1 out of 40 in villages. 

1 out of 32 in small towns. 

1 out of 28 in middling towns. 

1 out of 24 in very populous cities : and 

. 1 out of 36 in a whole province. 

Out of each thousand 28 die annually. Out of 100 children who 

die each year, there are always three dead born, but there is scarcely 

one out of 200 that dies in the birth. Out of 115 women that die, 

only one dies in childbed : and but one out of 400 dies in labour. 

The greatest mortality among children is in the first year. Out of 

1000, about 293 die before they are one year old. Between the 

first and second year, only 80 die out of 1000. But from the 13th to 

62 



490 OCTOBER XVII. 



Proportion between births and deaths. 



the 14th or 15th years, the number is so small that it scarcely ever 
amounts to above two in a thousand. This therefore is the time of 
life in which there is the least danger. Some learned men have ob- 
served, that there are more women than men who live from 70 to 90 
years ; but that there are more men than women who exceed 90 and 
live to 100. 

Three thousand millions of persons at least may live at one time on 
the earth; but there is scarcely one third of that number, or at the 
most 1080 millions, viz. about 650 millions in Asia, 150 m.illions in 
Africa, 150 millions in America, and 130 millions in Europe. 

The most natural inference to be drawn from this is, that God is 
most tenderly concerned for the life of man, and that it is precious 
in his sight. Is it possible that such proportion could exist between 
births and deaths', and that this should be so regular and so constant 
at all times, and in all places, if the wisdom of God had not established, 
and his providence maintained it ? 



OCTOBER XVIII. 

DEVASTATIONS IN THE KINGDOM OF NATURE. 

We now behold beauteous nature, which in spring ravished all our 
senses, and afforded us such diversified pleasures, subjected to the 
common law of all created things. Its beauty has disappeared, and 
fcvery day brings about new revolutions ; and each succeeding one 
mcire disastrous than the other. But such is the lot of nature ; it con- 
tains, in itself, the source of the most atHicting devastations. 

How much mischief is occasioned by the overflowing of seas and 
rivers, heavj'- rains, and the melting of snow and ice ! Whole villages 
drowned, fruit-trees torn up by the roots, crops of corn, &c., laid 
under water, whole herds carried away, present to our view fearful 
monuments of the destructive power of the elements. 

A shipwreck appears a less fatal disaster ; but a whole common- 
wealth might have been formed by those men, whom the sea has in 
this instance swallowed up. Immense sums, which probably whole 
ages were employed in collecting, lost in a moment ! Whole families 
are ruined by a shipwreck ; the appearance of the stormy sea, the la- 
mentable cries of the dying, the crash of the vessel which is wreck- 
ed — what terror must all these things inspire ! 

What calamities also proceed from excessive heat, and a long 
drought! Grass and plants languish, the gro'md is dried up, and 
we are nearly stifled with clouds of burning dust. The waters grow 
gradually corrupt, and become a deadly drink for the flocks. Heat 
and putrefaction multiply insects prodigiously : and they lay waste 
all before them: — they devour the country; and if they die to-day, 
they appear again to-morrow in new generations. Famine, the hor- 
rible companion of death, comes next : and the pestilence walks by 



OCTOBER XVIII. 491 



Devastations of the kingdom of nature. 



its side ! One bad year, a war, or a contagious disorder, may occa- 
sion all these evils. 

What confusion and desolation are produced by earthquakes, which 
beconne more and more common! Even in the very bowels of the 
earth, a destroying fire causes pestilential vapours to boil up ; which 
spread death in all directions. Suddenly, and often in the dead of 
night, the earth bellows and shakes : whole cities are overturned, 
and thousands of criminals swallowed up? With what a formidable 
aspect do volcanoes appear ! They are the emblems and forerun- 
ners of the devouring flames of the great and last day I Here we 
behold nature, in other respects so lovely, in a terrible point of 
view. At this awful spectacle Ave can scarcely refrain from saying 
How imperfect and defective is every thing, except the Creator 
himself! Many people make nature their god, and its beauties 
cause them to forget that Supreme Being, from whom these beauties 
spring. Let us learn the true state of all earthly things ; and ac- 
knowledge the advantages which the love of God has beyond every 
thing to which our hearts can be attached. To feel delight in the 
contemplation of the august attributes of God, to be made partakers 
of his grace, to feel that he is our sovereign good, is to triumph over 
all the desolations of nature. Besides, what can be more proper to 
increase our love and gratitude to him, than the recollection, that he 
well knows how to make all these calamities work together for our 
good ? 

These apparent disorders in nature, prevent evils incomparably 
greater, which would not fail to take place, if destructive matter, 
fire, and subterraneous vapours, continued to be heaped and pent up 
in the bowels of the earth. Volcanoes and inundations preserve us 
often from greater calamities. Burning heats serve to dry that 
ground which in other places had been laid under water. Plague 
and famine free the world from a multitude of its vicious inhabitants, 
under which it groans. The extraordinary mortality which some- 
times prevails among men, is a very wise mean of maintaining the 
proper balance in respect to number, and of preventing an excessive 
population. Nevertheless, we may grant that God would employ 
fewer scourges on the earth, if his holiness and justice did not oblige 
him thus to punish, from time to time, the crimes of those who 
inhabit it. 

When we are mere spectators of the devastations which sometimes 
happen here below, and are not immediately interested in them, it 
is very right that our gratitude to the Supreme Being, who has pre- 
served us, should be accompanied with sentiments of compassion and 
charity for our suffering fellow creatures. Let us never be insensi- 
ble to the misfortune of others, nor hear, with indifference, the reci- 
tal of the calamities of people the most remote ; as if nothing should 
affect us but that in which we had a personal concern. In the im- 
mense chain of terrestrial events, there is not a single link, however 
distant, with which we have not some connexion. Were the 



492 OCTOBER XVIII. 



Devastations in the kingdom of Nature. 



wretched people who have suffered so many distresses greater sin- 
ners than we are ? Why are they fallen, while we stand upright ? Are 
the places we inhabit less defiled with iniquity than those where 
earthquakes and volcanoes have made such ravages ? The last catas- 
trophe of nature will be still more terrible to us. The world is not 
eternal : after having experienced excessive calamities of every kind, 
its utter destruction shall at last arrive. Nature still flourishes, but 
she visibly grows old. It is only by the dint of industry and labour 
that we derive from the earth what it spontaneously presented to our 
forefathers, and what they collected almost without trouble. Let this 
earth of our pilgrimage perish, seeing it must perish ! Here we have 
no permanent city : may we know and seek that city which is above, 
whose founder and builder is the living God. 

We should lament over those countries, towns, and villages, which 
are laid waste : we should be ready to succour them, and divide our 
bread with the wretched inhabitants. O that they would humble 
themselves under the mighty hand of God, and patiently suffer the 
ills which he sends them ! Let them recollect that many of their 
brethren have suffered similar distresses : they were in misery, but 
their wounds are now healed ; their granaries are now better supplied 
than they ever were, and their burnt houses are changed into pala- 
ces. To create and destroy is the work of God, and will continue to 
be so till the end of time. If he never destroyed, we should never 
see any new creations ; we should have no occasion for acts of resig- 
nation and patience ; we should not sufficiently know the value of 
that religion which now confirms and comforts us ; and raises us above 
all afflictions and distresses. Here we have firm footing ; and let this 
be the result of all our reflections : God saw all that he made, and 
beheld that it was very good. " Yes, Lord, thou art clothed with splen- 
dour and majesty : thy judgments are holy and just ; all thy works are 
full of grace and truth. Who would not acknowledge thy power and 
wisdom, and bless thee with transports of joy, thou Lord of the uni- 
verse !" 



OCTOBER XIX. 

THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. 

The circulation of the blood is the most mysterious and important 
of all the motions performed in or by the animal body. In this cir- 
culation we observe a certain grandeur which strikes the mind, and 
makes us feel the limits of the human understanding ; and inspires us 
with a profound veneration for the supreme wisdom of our divine 
Creator. 

The blood circulates continually in our bodies, and this is the prin- 
ciple of its motion. The heart, which is situated within the breast 
between the two lobes of the lungs, is a fleshy substance, which has 



OCTOBER XIX. 493 



Circulation of the hlood. 



two cavities, separated from each other by a partition. This machine 
is in continual motion by alternate contraction and dilitation. The 
trunk of an artery, which is called the aorta, or great artery, proceeds 
from the left ventricle of the heart. It soon divides itself into many 
branches, some of which ascend, others descend, by innumerable 
ramifications, which become smaller and smaller, in proportion to their 
distance from the heart ; distribute themselves on all hands, and pene- 
trate every part of the body. When the right ventricle contracts, it 
propels the blood into the arteries with so much force, that it goes 
into the very extremities of their smallest ramifications. This motion 
is called the pulse ; it is only the effect of the pulsation of the heart, 
and is quicker or slower according as the heart contracts with more or 
less frequency. But what becomes of the blood after it has arrived 
at the extremities of the arteries, distributed through the body ? Na- 
ture employs it in the wisest manner. Certain vessels through which 
the blood circulates, absorb the aqueous particles ; others the oily, and 
others the saline. In other parts of the body, where the arteries are 
dispersed, the milk or fat are secreted ; or other humours which are 
necessary for certain purposes, or which should be expelled from the 
body as useless. 

That part of the blood which remains after having been thus puri- 
fied, runs into the extremities of the arteries in such a way, that with 
the help of a microscope, the little red globules may be seen rolling 
one after another. But these small channels begin to grow gradually 
larger, forming vessels, which still increase in wideness, and are term- 
ed veins ; by these the blood is carried back into the heart, in the same 
way that it had been conveyed from it by the arteries. 

The veins, therefore, bring back the blood to the heart from all 
parts of the body, the lower as well as the upper, by a canal which 
opens in the right ventricle. It does not pass immediately from this 
into the left ventricle ; but the contraction of the heart drives it into 
the pulmonary artery, which disperses it through the lungs by an in- 
finite number of small branches. Here the blood which has circula- 
ted through all the body, and has acquired a certain degree of warmth 
by its agitation, must, before it recommences its circulation, be cooled 
by the fresh air, which is brought into the lungs by inspiration. By 
means of this cooling it condenses again, for during the circulation it 
was extremely dilated by the heat. It is now received by the pulmo- 
nary veins, vvhich conduct it to the left auricle of the heart : this re- 
stores it to the left ventricle, which, by its contracting, drives it again 
into the aorta, which distributes it to all parts of the body. Thus 
the blood circulates, passing from the heart to the extremities of the 
body, by the arteries; and returning from the extremities to the heart 
by the veins.^ 

• How the blood acquires and preserves its motion ; what is the quantity of its circu- 
lating power, and what the cause of its colour, are questions not yet satisfactorily an. 
fiwered.— 4. C. 



494 OCTOBER XIX. 



Circulation of the 1)100(1. 



Such is the admirable mechanism of the circulation of the blood in 
men and animals. But how many obscurities still remain on this sub- 
ject ! We meet with wonders here which prove to us that the human 
mind cannot fully comprehend this masterpiece of Divine Wisdom. 
For instance : is it not astonishing that the motion of the heart should 
continue without interruption for 70, 80, or 100 years ; and the ma- 
chine neither wear out nor fall to pieces ? The blood circulates in the 
human body 24 times every hour : and consequently goes through the 
whole body 576 times every 24 hours ; and as at each contraction the 
heart propels two ounces of blood into the aorta, it is evident that 
7200 ounces, that is 600 pounds of blood, pass through the heart in 
the space of one hour ! 

May not this alone strike us with astonishment? But there may 
be many other wonderful circumstances in this circulation which we 
know not; or of which we have very imperfect ideas. In a word, 
" man, whose government is acknowledged by all things here below, 
is a composition of wonders. The most admirable mechanism, and 
the greatest corporeal beauty, are united in him. Each of his mem- 
bers proclaims him Lord of the creation. An innumerable multitude 
of invisible canals, so formed and measured as infinitely to surpass 
the wisdom and contrivance of nian, conduct and distribute, in every 
direction, that precious fluid on which our life depends, and cause it 
to circulate regularly and without interruption. In this universal 
irovement, in this continual flux and reflux, all is regular and well 
ordered: every thing is in its place, and in the most perfect harmony: 
nothing is discordant, nothing obstructs, nothing stops, nothing preci- 
pitates its course." 

This admirable circulation, which takes place in all animals, exists 
also in every part of nature. The sun revolves round his axis, and 
the earth, moon, and other planets, perform their appointed revolutions 
with a regular and determined motion. Not only the air is in a con- 
tinual motion, (for it incessantly circulates around the earth,) but the 
water also continues its course without interruption. The rivers fall 
into the sea, and from the vast surface of the ocean those vapours arise 
which form the clouds : these are precipitated in showers, which pene- 
trate the mountains and form springs ; which increasing, insensibly 
form rivers, and these returning to the ocean, restore what had been 
taken away by evaporation. The earth, ever fruitful, produces annual 
plants and crops ; yet is never exhausted, because the continual cir- 
culation of nutritious juices repairs its losses, and restores to it what 
it had given to us. 

All these revolutions of nature lead us to a First Cause; who has 
so planned the world that all beings are continually in action ; they 
circulate, act, and move in an insensible labyrinth of changes, till 
they return to their former place, and commence anew the race mark- 
ed out for them. 



OCTOBER XX 495 



Proportions of the different parts of the human body. 



OCTOBER XX. 

PROPORTIONS OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

God has formed the human body according to the wisest rules, and 
established most exact proportions even in the smallest parts. To be 
convinced of this, we have only to calculate the height and thickness 
of the body, according to certain specified measures. The height of 
the body is generally divided into ten equal parts, which, in technical 
terms, are cnXled face-lengths, or faces ; because a man's face was the 
first model for these admeasurements. 

The first face takes in the whole of the visage from the root of the 
hair on the forehead to the tip of the chin. From the beginnino- of 
the hair on the forehead, to the top of the head, there is one-third of 
ihaface in height : or what amounts to the same thing, a length equal 
to that of the nose : therefore from the top of the head to the bot- 
tom of the chin, the length is one face and a third. Between ihe bot- 
tom of the chin and the hollow of the collar-bone, there are two-thirds 
of a/<2ce: thus the height from the collar-bone to the top of the head, 
is twice the length of the face; which is the fifth part of the whole 
length of the body. From the collar-bone to the bottom of the breast, 
owe face is reckoned. Below the breast xYiq fourth face-length begins, 
which ends at the navel. The fifth extends to the bottom of the ab- 
domen ; which make, in the whole, the half of the height of the body. 
The length of the thigh is equal to two faces, and the knee to half 
the face. . The leg, from the bottom of the knee to the iiistep, makes 
two faces, amounting in the whole to nine faces and a half. From 
rhe instep to the sole of the foot there is half a face, which com- 
pletes the ten faces, the measure into which the human body is 
divided. 

This division has been made for men in general : but where per- 
sons are very tall, there is found half a face moie in that part of the 
body which extends from the breasts to the bottom of the abdomen. 
It is the extra length in this place which makes what is called a gen- 
teel shape. When the arms are so extended as to form a straight 
horizontal line ; the distance between the tops of the middle fingers 
of each hand is equal to the height of the whole body. From the 
hollow of the collar-bone to the joint which unites the shoulder-bone 
to the arm, there is one face-length. When the arm hangs down it is 
com)^\x.\edi 2ii four face-lengths : two between the shoulder and the el- 
bow, and two from the elbow to the first joint of the little finger ; 
which makes five faces for each arm, ten faces in the whole, which 
is a height equal to the length of the whole body. The hand is one 
face in length : the thumb the third of a face, or the length of the 
nose, which is also the length of the great toe. The length of the 
sole of the foot is equal to a sixth part of the height of the whole body. 
There is a particular measure also for the thickness of the body and 
limbs. The thickness of a finger is ordinarily the 36th part of the 



496 OCTOBER XX. 



Proportions of the different parts of the human body. 



height : the thickness of the little finger the 48ih part. Three times 
the thickness of the thumb, is equal to the thickness of the hand : 
six times the thickness of the hand is equal to the whole height of the 
body. 

The height of the human body varies considerably : the finest 
stature is from five feet four or five, to five feet eight or nine inches. 
The middle size is from five feet one inch, to five feet four. The 
least size is below five feet. In general, women are two or three 
inches shorter than men : their chest projects further, so that gene- 
rally the capacity of the breast formed by the ribs is deeper and 
wider in women than in men, in proportion to the rest of the body. 
The loins of women are wider than those of men, because the bones 
which form that capacity which is called the pelvis, or bason, are lar- 
ger than those of men. Man has more brain than any other animal 
of the same size. He has even more than the horse or the ox. A 
man who weighs a hundred pounds has commonly four pounds of 
brain. Infants born at the due time weigh eight pounds at most, and 
five at least : their greatest length is one foot eleven inches, and their 
least is one foot six. 

The human body, whether it be considered in the whole or in its 
different parts, is constructed according to the most exact proportions. 
All is regular, well proportioned, and in the greatest harmony : not 
only as it respects the size and figure, but the situation also of the 
different parts. There is not one part which is greater or less than 
the relation it bears to other members, and the general advantage of 
the whole machine require. It is impossible to devise a form or situ- 
ation for any part, which would be more convenient or beneficial to 
the whole of the members. It is granted, however, that there may 
be varieties and irregularities among them, which do not destroy the 
principal design of the body. Ill-shaped persons and monsters are 
proofs of these irregularities. But if certain disproportions in the 
size, form, and position of the parts may be compatible with the prin- 
cipal design, they still hurt the grace and beauty of the outward ap- 
pearance. How great should the gratitude be of those persons who 
are well-shaped, and whose members are all in just and agreeable 
proportion. O that our souls were as pleasing in the sight of the Lord 
as our bodies are in the eyes of men ! When shall our souls and bo- 
dies be in the same harmony which prevails among the members of a 
well-formed body? When this takes place we shall be pleasing in 
the sight of our God : and glorify our Father and Redeemer with our 
bodies and spirits which are his. 



OCTOBER XXI. 497 



Navigation. 



OCTOBER XXL 

OF NAVIGATION. 

To a reflecting mind, navigation is a subject which may give rise to 
the most important reflections. Here our curiosity is excited, and 
at the same time satisfied in different ways, so as to become a new 
source of pleasure. In general we consider navigation only in refe- 
rence to the advantages it affords us ; but we should also consider the 
construction and motion of ships, without which, navigation could not 
exist. 

First, is it not very astonishing that such an enormous and heavy 
mass as a ship can float on the water ? The weight of a ship is great- 
er than we imagine ; and it requires but little attention to be con- 
vinced that the pressure on the water must be prodigious. A man of 
war, which carries 800 men, has commonly provisions laid in to sup- 
port that number for three months, and carries besides from 70 to 
100 guns. Now supposing each man to weigh only 100 pounds, and 
each cannon 900, (although there are cannons that weigh more than 
40 hundred,) and supposing that each man eats but three pounds 
weight of food in the day, this moderate calculation will make the 
burden to amount to more than 386,000 pounds. But the weight of 
the vessel itself is not taken into this calculation ; the rigging, and a 
multitude of materials necessary to keep the vessel in repair, load 
the cannon, &c., are articles which at least equal, if not surpass the 
preceding sum. 

However, this enormous mass of at least 772,000 pounds may be 
moved with a very gentle wind ! Is not this inconceivable ! Does 
it not appear contrary to the laws of nature ? No : it is quite natu- 
ral, and should the contrary happen, it would be miraculous. It is 
not the wind that drives this mass ; the ship with its v/hole burden 
swims on the water. But how can so heavy a body float ? How 
can the water, whose particles are not strongly connected, have strength 
and consistency enough to support this enormous mass ? It is the 
effect of an equipoise ; the ship sinks till the volume of water which 
it displaces be equal to it in bulk. Suppose a vessel to be 120 feet 
long, and 15 broad, and that it sinks two feet in the water, i. e. 3600 
feet of water, or so much cargo, because the one takes place of the 
other. Thus the river is not more loaded with the ship and her cargo, 
than it was with the water which the ship removes from the pla^^es 
which she occupies. 

Formerly navigation was very dangerous, and more laborious than 
it is at present. People did not dare to venture themselves far out in 
the open sea, but coasted along without losing sight of the shore. 
But since the invention of the compass they cross the seas with more 
confidence and safety. Before this valuable discovery, it was ^ sort 
of wonder to make even short sea voyages. In Homer's time, it re- 
quired great preparations and long deliberation before his heroes 

63 



498 OCTOBER XXI. 



Navigation. 



could determine to cross the Egean sea. The expedition of Jason 
and his argonauts, to the island of Colchis, was considered as the won- 
der of the world. But what are these in comparison of our sea voy- 
ages ? By the discovery of the compass we are enabled to make such 
long voyages ; the magnetic needle turning always to the north, to 
inform the navigator in what region he is, and the countries to which 
he directs his course. In the darkest night, in the most cloudy days, 
in the very midst of the ocean, this instrument serves him as a guide, 
and leads him from one end of the earth to the other. 

Have we ever reflected on the advantages of navigation ? Have we 
ever been sufficiently grateful to our Creator for these advantages ? 
Whoever we may be, it is to navigation we ov/e, either directly or in- 
directly, a great part of the things necessary for our subsistence. We 
could not have those spices and medicines which come to us from dif- 
ferent countries ; or at least could not procure them but at great trou- 
ble and expense, did not vessfcls bring them into our ports. We should 
be much distressed indeed, were we obliged to bring all our necessaries 
by land. The following calculation will prove this. The freight of 
a ship is reckoned by tons, and a ton weighs 2000 pounds ; therefore 
a vessel whose burden is 600 tons, carries 1,200,000 pounds weight ! 
Now allowing 1000 pounds weight to a horse, it would require 312 
four-horse wagons, i. e. 1248 horses, with a man at least to each wagon, 
to transport this cargo. But how could we procure treasures from 
other parts of the world ? and how expensive would it be to acquire 
even the bare necessaries of life ? Besides, should not navigation be 
considered as one of the greatest blessings of our Creator, when we 
reflect that it has been the means of carrying the knowledge of the 
Gospel of Christ to the remotest nations of the world ? Can this con- 
sideration fail to inspire us with the most lively emotions of gratitude 
to God ? On the other hand, should we not thank him that our calling 
does not oblige us to brave the dangers of the seas, and expose our 
lives continually in order to enrich ourselves, or to procure even the 
means of a bare subsistence ? Whilst then, at a distance from all these 
perils, we live peaceably among our families, should we not recom- 
mend those of our brethren to the protection of God who are obliged 
to brave the seas, and undertake long and dangerous voyages for the 
benefit of society, and consequently for our particular profit ? 



OCTOBER XXII. 

BEASTS OF DRAUGHT AND BURDEN. 

Animals of this kind render us so many services, and are so very 
useful, that it would be a sort of ingratitude not to examine them 
with particular attention. We generally content ourselves with sub- 
duing them for our food, or training them to assist our weakness by 



OCTOBER XXII. 499 



Beasts of draught and burden. 



their strength ; bn.t through ignorance or indolence we neglect to 
consider them in their relation to the rest of the creation, and to re- 
flect on the wisdom and goodness of God, which are so visibly mani- 
fested in the production of these useful animals. Possibly the fol- 
lowing meditation may make us more attentive to this subject, and 
serve to excite our gratitude to the Creator. 

Of all domestic animals, the horse renders us most service, and 
does it the most willingly. He suffers himself to be employed in 
the cultivation of our grounds. He tamely submits to all kinds of 
labour for a moderate and frugal subsistence. He shares with men 
the pleasures of the chase and the dangers of war. He is a creature 
who gives up his own being to exist only by the- will of another; he 
even anticipates this will, and by the promptitude and precision of 
his motions expresses and executes it. He abandons himself unre- 
servedly to his master ; refuses no labour ; exerts all his strength ; 
goes beyond it, and sometimes even expires in his efforts to obey. 
Nature has given him a propensity both to love and fear man, and 
has rendered him very sensible of those caresses by which his servi- 
tude is rendered pleasing. The horse, of all animals of his size, is 
the best proportioned in every part of his body. Every thing in him 
IS regular and elegant. The exact proportion of every part of his 
head gives him a light and lively look, which is considerably heigh- 
tened by the beauty of his chest. His carriage is noble, his step ma- 
lestic, and all the members of his body seem to announce energj', 
strength, courage, and stateliness. 

The ox has not the gracefulness and elegance of the horse ; his 
monstrous head, his limbs to small and too short for the size of his 
body ; the smallness of his ears, his stupid look and heavy pace, may 
be considered as imperfections : but all these irregularities are com- 
pensated by the important services which he renders to man. He 
IS strong enough to carry heavy burdens; and is contented with 
scanty fare. Every thing in this animal is of use ; his blood, his 
hide, his hoofs, his flesh, his fat, and his horns, may all be applied to 
a variety of purposes ; his ver}'- dung is the best sort of manure for 
enriching the land, that it may be capable of producing new aliments. 
The structure of the organs of digestion in this animal is very re- 
markable. He has four stomachs : the first of which can contain 
forty or fifty pounds weight of food : the third stomach God has so 
constructed that it has eighty-eight folds, in order to assist digestion ; 
whereas the stomachs of sheep and goats have but thircy-six. 

The ass, however unpromising his outward appearance may be, 
and however despised, has, nevertheless, very excellent qualities, and 
is very useful to man. He is not fiery and impetuous, like the horse, 
but peaceable, simple, and always well tempered. He has no state- 
liness, goes smoothly on his way, and carries his load without noise 
or grumbling. He is temperate both as to the quality and quantity 
of his food. He is contented with thistles, and the hardest and worst 



500 OCTOBER XXII. 



Beasts of draught and "bvirden. 



herbs. He is patient, vigorous, and indefatigable ; and renders his 
master constant and important services. 

How is it that we can have these animals daily in our employ, and 
not think, at the same time, of the Creator who has formed them, and 
given them those properties which are so useful to us. It is a cir- 
cumstance well worth the attention of a reflecting mind, that the 
number of beasts of burden, and draught cattle, is beyond all compari- 
son greater than that of wild beasts. If the multiplication of the lat- 
ter were equal to that of the former, the earth would soon be laid 
waste. Can we reflect, without gratitude, on the goodness of God, 
who has given us the dominion over these creatures ; the strength 
or skill to subjugate them ; the right to apply them to our use ; to 
change their naturaFstate at pleasure ; to oblige them to obey, and 
employ them as v/e think good ? This dominion over the creatures 
is the gift of God, by which man may every moment perceive the 
excellence of his being. If God had not impressed animals with a na- 
tural fear of man, it would have been impossible for him to subjugate 
them by force. Seeing then that it is to God we owe the empire 
which we have over them, it is highly unjust to abuse these creatures, 
either by excessive labour, or by any other mode of ill-treatment. 



OCTOBER XXIII. 

WINTER SEED-TIME. 

A GREAT part of the food designed for man and other animals, is 
at this time confined to the earth. When the husbandman has sown 
his winter's corn he begins to enjoy a little rest. He will soon have 
the satisfaction of seeing his fields clothed gradually with a beautiful 
verdure, giving the promise of a plentiful har\"est. Nature indeed 
works in secret while the germ is unfolding itself; but its operations 
may be discovered by taking some of the seeds out of the ground 
which begin to sprout. Two days after the seed has been sown, the 
juices with which it is swollen penetrate the germ and cause it to 
shoot. The germ is always situated at one extremity of the seed ; 
and that part which is next the outside is the little root of the future 
plant. Twenty-four hours after the corn has been sown, the germ 
commonly begins to pierce the coat of the grain, and to disengage 
itself. It puts out its root and stalk ; the root is at first wrapped up 
in a sheath, which it bursts. Some days after, other roots shoot out 
at the sides, each disengaging itself from its sheath. On the fifth or 
sixth day a small green point begins to appear above the ground. 
It continues a considerable time in this state, till in fine weather the 
ear bursts forth from its coat, by which it had been protected from 
cold and uncertain Aveather. 



OCTOBER XXIII. 501 



Winter seed-time. 



All this necessarily leads us to reflect on the nature of Luman life. 
Our present existence is the germ of an eternal life. We are here 
below in our seed-time, and can discover but very little growth. The 
full ear, the ripe fruit, and the sheaves in perfection we cannot see 
here below ; the ingathering is not made on earth. We live in hope. 
The husbandman, after having sown his field, abandons his seed to 
corruption, to rain, and storms, and to the heat of the sun; but he does 
not yet see what the result will be. This is precisely what happens 
in regard to the spiritual seed. Let us not be proud because the seed 
is sown ; nor be discouraged because we do not immediately see the 
fruits. Let us continue to sma unto the Spirit ; and possibly our 
good works wrought thus in God, however trifling in themselves, will 
have blessed consequences hereafter. 

Now that our seed is committed to the ground, let us wait without 
care and anxiety, till at the end of nine months we reap the fruit of 
our sowing ; and in the mean time, like the pious husbandman, let us 
beseech God to crown our fields with his blessins". 



OCTOBER XXIV. 



It would be a great misfortune for me and for the world, were there 
any foundation for that principle of unbelievers, that God concerns 
himself only with the totality of beings; and takes care of whole 
societies, of all genera and species ; but not of individuals. What a 
ridiculous god is that of the Freetki7ikers I Or rather, does he deserve 
the name of a god, who either cannot, or will not concern himself with 
the parts of which the luhole is composed. For our comfort we are 
taught, both by reason and revelation, to believe in a God whose pro- 
vidence is extended to every creature in particular, and to every part 
of which each creature is composed. 

Let none imagine that it is beneath God to attend to individuals. 
The whole universe, as well as the meanest particle of dust, is no- 
thing in comparison of the Infinite Being. This being the case, what 
is it that we can call little or contemptible ? Is there not a greater 
diiierence between an individual and whole nations, than there is be- 
tween those immense globes which appear so little to the eyes of the 
common people ? The least consideration w^U be sufficient to con- 
vince us, that in the sight of God, to whom a thousand years is but 
as one day, and the whole universe as a drop in comparison of the 
ocean, there is nothing which is either great or little in itself; nor 
any event, however inconside-rable it may appear, that is unworthy 
his attention. Let us take the meanest plant, or the smallest insect 
that we can possibly dissect, and we shall discover, even in its small- 
est parts, the same wisdom which shines in the structure of the ichole. 
The least fibre contributes as much to the perfection of the whole 



602 OCTOBER XXIV. 



God's particular providence. 



plant or animal, as they do to the perfection of the entire species ; and 
as the species does to the perfeclion of the universe. If, therefore, 
God has not thought it beneath him io form creatures which appear so 
despicable, why should it be thought beneath him to preserve them ? 
Besides, how could the whole be perfect if the parts were not so ? Or 
how could the whole species be preserved without the preservation of 
the individuals ? 

Plain reason proclaims this to us, and revelation completes our con- 
viction. It teaches us that the very hairs of our head are numbered. 
A hair, the meanest appendage of our bodies, thousands of which we 
lose in the course of our lives without perceiving it, or suffering any 
sensible loss through it ; even all these are numbered ! And from 
this our blessed Saviour draws this conclusion, that with much greater 
reason God interests himself in our behalf, and condescends to honour 
us with his attention ; and this he does more particularly because all 
men have been redeemed by the blood of his well-beloved Son, and 
have acquired new value in his eyes in consequence of becoming the 
brethren of the Lord Jesus. 

O Eternal Providence ! I adore thee in Christ Jesus ; I adore and 
bless thee, O God, with the liveliest emotjons of gratitude ! Even be- 
fore the foundation of the world thou didst lay the plan of my happi- 
ness : before I could supplicate, and before I could return thanks ? 
Can it then be possible that thou shouldest not forget me ? My Redeem- 
er has undertaken for me ; he has even suffered the most cruel tor- 
ments in my behalf; can it cost him too much to watch over me? 
No. He will preserve what he has so dearly purchased. Shall we 
then permit ourselves to be stumbled by the railleries of vain and 
wicked men ? No. Let us confide in that Providence which the infi- 
del would wish to persuade us takes no care of its creatures. Let 
us consider that we were not formed for this world, and that it is only 
in the world to come that the wonders of God's grace shall be mani- 
fested to us in all their splendour. But what are we, O God, that 
thou shouldest think of us, creatures so base, corrupted, and sin- 
ful? Who are we, that the Holy of holies, the Being of beings, the 
Almighty, Infinite, and Eternal God, should pay any attention to us ! 
What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that 
thou visitest him ? W^hat motives should this afford us to walk before 
thy face in uprightness, abstaining from every appearance of evil ! 
Thy eye is ever open upon us, and thou art pleased that we confide 
in thy providence. Lord, strengthen our faith, that we may not be 
stumbled by the depth and obscurity of thy ways ; and grant that all 
the dispensations of thy provideace may terminate in our endless sal- 
vation. Amen. 



OCTOBER XXV. 503 



Measure and division of time. 



OCTOBER XXV. 



THE MEASURE AND DIVISION OF TIME. 



Time is measured and divided according to the revolutions of the 
heavenly bodies, and especially by those of the sun and the moon. 
These two globes have most influence on the state of mankind. The 
revolution of the moon serves only to divide the time on our globe : 
but the sun unidoubtedly serves to regulate that division in all the 
planets which turn round him. 

Day is that portion of time which the sun takes up in making an 
apparent revolution round the earth ; or, to speak more correctly, the 
time which the earth takes up in revolving round its own axis. That 
space of time during which the sun is above the horizon, is called an 
artificial day : this is the time of light which is determined by the 
rising and setting of the sun. The time of obscurity, that is, the time 
during which the sun is below the horizon, we call night. The day 
and night, taken together, make the natural, or solar day. This day 
is divided into twenty-four parts, which are called hours. Each hour 
is subdivided into sixty equal parts, which are termed minutes ; each 
minute into sixty seconds, and each second into sixty thirds. The di^ 
vision is capable of being extended still further, but it is seldom found 
necessary. 

This division of the day into hours, minutes, &c., is pointed out by 
the shadow of the gnomon of a sun-diai, and by the hands of a clock, 
or watch. Well constructed sun-dials always show the true time of 
the sun; but clocks and watches, which are always regulated by the 
mean time of the sun, require frequent alterations. In common life 
the greater part oi Europeans begin their day and their hours at mid- 
night : from which to mid-day they reckon twelve hours, and twelve 
hours from that to the ensuing midnight. The Italians begin their 
day at sunset, and from that to the succeeding evening they reckon 
twenty-four hours. The Turks begin their day a quarter of an hour 
after sunset, from which they reckon twelve equal hours ; and when 
these are run out, they reckon twelve more to the following evening. 
The Jews begin their day at sunset, from which they reckon twelve 
equal hours to sunrise, and as many more from his rising to his setting : 
consequently the hours of their day are longer or shorter than those 
of the night, in proportion as the day is longer or shorter than the 
night. 

A loeek is the space of seven days. A solar month is the time which 
the sun takes in passing through one sign of the zodiac : but these 
months do not begin and end exactly at the entering of the sun into 
a new sign. A lunar month is the time which elapses from one new 
moon to another : that is to say, twenty-nine days, twelve hours, and 
forty-four minutes. 

The solar year comprises twelve solar months ; that is to say, the 
tinie which the sun takes up in going through the twelve signs of the 



504 OCTOBER XXV. 



Measure and division of time. 



zodiac ; and this time is generally computed to be three hundred and 
sixty-five days, five hours, and forty-nine minutes. These years are at 
present in use among all the people of Europe. The lunar ijear is 
that space of time which comprehends twelve lunar months, or twelve 
revolutions of the moon round our earth. It is composed of three 
hundred and fifty-four days, eight hours, and forty-eight minutes. 
The Jews and Turks still reckon by this year, but to make it corres- 
pond to the solar year, they often intercalate a whole month. Our 
common year begins t^n or eleven days after the ^n has entered 
Capricorn. 

These measures and divisions of time, how unimportant soever 
they may appear in themselves, are nevertheless of great conse- 
quence in their application to civil life. The hours, days, weeks, 
months, and years, which constitute our earthly life, are granted unto 
us that we may use them so as to fulfil the great design of our ex- 
istence. But how do we employ these precious moments ? Minutes 
and seconds are in our eyes but trifles, which do not deserve our at- 
tention. Nevertheless it is certain, that he who takes no account of 
minutes will throw away hours. But are we more economic in 
larger periods ? Alas ! if from all the days which have been allotted 
us, we substract those which have been entirely lost in respect to our 
immortal souls, how much of real and effective life will remain ? Will 
it not appear, as the result of this calculation, that man, at the age of 
seventy years, has lost fifty ? And that he who has arrived to fifty 
years, has scarcely spent seven of them in securing his eternal inte- 
rests ? God of mercy, how distressing and humiliating is this con- 
sideration ! What hundreds, what thousands of days and hours which 
have been entrusted to us by thy fatherly goodness, that we might 
employ them in promoting the eternal welfare of our souls, have 
been shamefully consumed in departing from thee, thou best and most 
tender of parents ! How many years spent in idleness and vice, in 
gratifying criminal passions, and in injuring our brethren ! And with 
what inconceivable rapidity do the few moments that remain fly 
away ! Without scarcely perceiving it, an hour is already lost, irre- 
coverably lost ! And an hour is a great deal to a man who may easily 
reckon his real and effective life by hours. Lord, enter not into 
judgment with us for the days which we have so miserably mispent ! 
And so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto 
wisdom ! May we henceforth make a proper use of the time which 
thou mayest still condescend to grant us, by getting an interest in the 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and an assurance of our eternal feli- 
city ! It is only by thus fulfiling thy merciful designs that we can be 
said either to have lived long, or lived happily. 



OCTOBER XXVI. 505 



The end of summer. 



OCTOBER XXVI. 

THE END OF SUMMER. 

The sun is casting the last of his summer rays upon the earth : 
every thing with us is changed. The earth, which a short time ago 
was so beautiful and fertile, is growing, by degrees, dismal, poor, and 
barren. We no longer see that fine enamel of trees in blossom, the 
charms of spring, the magnificence of summer, those hues and dif- 
ferent shades of verdure in the woods and meadows, the purple 
colour of the grapes, nor the golden crops which clothed our fields. 
The trees have lost their late clothing ; the pines, the elms, and the 
oak, bend under the fierce blast of the north wind. The rays of the 
sun are too feeble to warm the atmosphere, or penetrate the earth. 
The fields, which were so liberal in gifts, are now exhausted, and 
promise no more for this year. These melancholy changes must 
naturally diminish our pleasures. When the earth has lost its beau- 
tiful verdure, its vivid colours, its splendour; in a word, its glory: 
when the fields present nothing but a boggy soil and dull colouring, 
we lose that pleasure which we before received through the medium 
of sight. 

When the earth is stripped of its crops, its grass, and its leaves, 
nothing is to be seen but a rugged and uneven surface : it has no lon- 
ger that striking appearance which the corn, herbage, and various 
kinds of pulse, collectively produced. The birds ©ease from their 
songs, and nothing recalls to the mind of man that joy, that universal 
gladness, which he before shared with all animated beings. Deprived 
of the pleasure which the melodious concerts of birds afforded him, 
he hears nothing but the murmuring of waters, and whistling of the 
winds ; a continual monotony which can excite nothing but disagree- 
able sensations. The fields have lost their perfumes, and we respire 
only a sort of damp odour, which, as it is not followed by the sensa- 
tions of heat, has nothing agreeable in it. The sense of feeling is 
injured by the impression of cold and humid air. Thus the country 
presents nothing that can flatter our senses : the delicate nerves, 
which are their instruments, extend too much on receiving disagree- 
able impressions, and afterward get into an extreme state of con- 
traction. It is the same with all the muscles, to which the feeble 
rays of the sun can now communicate no energy. 

But in the midst of these gloomy prospects we have still cause 
enough to acknowledge how faithful nature is to fulfil the eternal law 
prescribed to her, of being useful at all times, and in every season 
of the year. The winter approaches, the flowers disappear : and 
though the sun sometimes shines out, the earth no longer possesses 
her wonted beauty. Nevertheless, stripped and desert as the coun- 
try is, it still presents to a feeling mind, the image, at least, of happi- 
ness. With gratitude to Heaven we may say. Here we have seen the 
corn groAV : lately these barren fields were clothed with abundant 

64 



\ 



506 OCTOBER XXVI. 



The end of summer. 



crops : it is true, that the orchards and gardens are stripped bare ; 
but the remembrance of the presents which they have made us can- 
not fail to mingle a sentiment of joy with the shiverings which we feel 
through the influence of the bleak north wind. 

The leaves of the fruit-trees are fallen ; the grass of the meadows 
is withered ; gloomy clouds cover the face of the sky ; the rains fall 
in abundance ; the roads are cut up ; and pleasant walking is no lon- 
ger practicable. The man who does not reflect, murmurs at this, 
but he who is wise, beholds, with emotions of joy, the earth deeply 
drenched with rain. The withered leaves, and the yellow grass, are 
prepared by the autumnal rains to form a rich manure to fertilize the 
land. This reflection, and the pleasing expectation of spring, should 
naturally excite our gratitude to the Creator for his tender care of 
lis, and should induce us to repose our whole confidence in him. 
Though the earth has lost its beauty, and all its external charms, and 
though it be even exposed to the murmurs of the children it has 
nourished and delighted, it has, nevertheless, commenced its labour 
anew, and is working secretly for their future welfare. 

But why is not the moral world as faithful to accomplish its desti- 
nation as the natural world is ? The acorn will always produce an 
oak, and the vine grapes ; why then has not the great man children 
which always resemble him ? Why have men of learning, and emi- 
nent artists, ignorant and stupid descendents ? Why do holy parents 
bring into the world vicious and wicked children ? When we reflect 
on this difference, we may find several natural causes for it : and we 
see that what o:Q;en happens in the natural, may also happen in the 
moral world, viz. that the best vine, for lack of a good soil and tem- 
perature, w^ill produce bad and sour grapes ; and virtuous parents 
may have degenerate children. In carrying these reflections far- 
ther, may we not look back on ourselves and say, Are not our bright^ 
est days often obscured ; and has not the glory that surrounded us 
often disappeared like the leaves of the trees ? 

Possibly our lot here below may have a vicissitude of seasons. 
In such a case we should have recourse, in the winter of our life, to 
the fruits collected in the days of our prosperity, and endeavour to 
make a good use of the fruits of our education and experience. If 
our harvest has been very productive, let us divide with the poor, 
whose rugged, or ill-cultivated soil, could yield but a small portion of 
fruit. Let us studiously endeavour, during the summer of our life, 
to have an autumn abundant in good fruits ; honourable to ourselves, 
and useful to mankind. Happy if, at the end of our autimin, we may 
carry down with us into the grave the glory of having borne some 
fruit to the honour of God, and the good of society. 



OCTOBER XXVIL 507 



Magnificence of God in the works of creation. 



OCTOBER XXVIL 

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF GOD IN THE WORKS OF CREATION. 

God has manifested himself in the creation, as a being infinitely wise. 

There is no creature, however useless it may appear to us, but 
what has its particular destination : and all are so formed as to an- 
swer, in the most proper manner, the end of their existence. This 
we know certainly to be the case in those we are acquainted with, 
and we conclude the same of the others by analogy. If we begin with 
the sun, and descend to the smallest ivorm, or plant, we shall be obli- 
ged to acknowledge, that in order to be perfectly adapted to the ends 
for which they were created, they could not have been formed in any 
other way : and that, relatively to those ends, there is no defect in 
them. The very smallest parts of each creature are evidently well 
adapted to their particular uses ; they accomplish the functions which 
God has prescribed ; and the whole creature would be defective, and 
could not answer, but imperfectly, the end of its existence, were 
any of its parts to be cut away, or injured. And how wonderful is 
that ivhole, which results from the relations and connexions which 
the creatures have among themselves. Each is in its place ; each 
has its proper functions ; and these functions are necessary to the 
perfection of the whole ; and none of these can fail without produ- 
cing more or less disorder in the whole. When we represent to our- 
selves the Being who has formed this innumerable multitude of crea- 
tures, animate and inanimate ; who has not only designed each for a 
particular end, but has also disposed and arranged all its parts, so as 
to be most suitable to that end, without either superJduity or defect ; 
who, by the union of all the individuals, has formed an admirable 
whole, where the most perfect harmony prevails ; must we not be 
struck with astonishment, and cry out, O ! the depth of the wisdom 
and knowledge of God ! 

God has manifested himself in the creation, as a being infinitely good. 

Every where he has dispensed being, motion, and life. What 
multitudes of animated beings has his beneficent hand produced ! 
Ever since the foundation of the world, man has endeavoured to find 
out all the living creatures which inhabit the earth, and yet new spe- 
cies are daily discovered, which were hitherto unknown. Is not life 
an inestimable blessing to all that breathe ? Is it not a benefit even 
to the vilest worm? What pleasure must God have in doing good, 
seeing he communicated the blessing of conscious existence to so 
many beings ! But of what use would their existence be, were they 
to be immediately deprived of it ? The Creator has taken care that 
every living creature shall exist as long as is necessary to answer his 
purpose in its creation. He has marked out to each creature the 
place of its habitation : and each finds, at its entrance into the world, 
whatever is necessary for the preservation of its being. Many ani- 
mals bring into the world wiih them that instinct and industry which 



50S OCTOBER XXVIL 



Magnificence of God in the works of creation. 

they stand in need of to find their food. Others, as man, are sup- 
ported and instructed by their parents. And with what an inexhaus- 
tible fertility has God endowed the earth for the benefit of mankind ' 
For nearly six thousand years he has nourished so many millions of 
men, and other animals ; and were the world to subsist as long again, 
we need not doubt but he would continue to provide a sufficiency of 
nourishment for all succeeding generations. With life, how many 
pleasures and pleasing sensations does the Creator grant to animated 
beings, and especially to man ! With what magnificence has he 
adorned and embellished the world, the place of his habitation ! 
What comforts does he make him partaker of in social life ! With 
what tender relations, warm affections, and delightful sentiments, does 
he cheer his heart ! Let us never be ungrateful to such an indulgent 
Creator ! Seeing we are endued with reason ; seeing we are capa- 
ble of knowing and loving our God ; let us acknowledge, with tran- 
sports of joy, that the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the 
Lord. 

God has manifested himself in the creation, as a being infinitely 
'powerful. 

This unlimited power, which is seen at first view in all the crea- 
tures, may be still more particularly perceived in the two extremes ; 
that which is greatest, and that which is least, in the universe. Who 
but a being infinitely powerful, could have constructed the immensely 
extended firmament, that prodigious space in which such a vast num- 
ber of huge worlds are contained ! Who but himself could have 
hitherto preserved this vast edifice ; established it so that it cannot 
be shaken ; and yet support it in all its various and regular motions ! 
Who else could raise the sun to such a height, appoint him his place, 
prevent his departing from it, and support him without a prop in this 
immense space ! Could any thing less than infinite power give mo- 
tion to the earth, the moon, and the other planets, so that they should 
revolve invariably in their appointed orbits, finish and begin afresh 
their revolutions at certain fixed periods ? 

If we consider the omnipotence of God in the smallest objects : 
here also we shall find it as incomprehensible as in the greatest. Let 
us only cast our eyes on the dust on which we tread. This dust is 
inhabited by an innumerable multitude of creatures ; many thousands 
of which united, would not amount to the size of a grain of sand ! 
Nevertheless, each of these has all its external members and inter- 
nal organs : each has its various sensations, each its peculiar instincts, 
is endued with the love of life, and seeks to preserve it. Behold the 
grass of the field, the hair of your head, and the blossoms of the 
trees; study their structure, their origin, and their use: and in all 
these you shall clearly discover the infinite power of Him who forms 
the celestial bodies with the same ease that he creates a worm, or 
causes a blossom to spring forth. 

' Lord, how great and numerous are thy works I In wisdom thou 
hast made them all, and the earth is full of thy goodness. Teach us 



OCTOBER XXVII. 509 



Magnificence of God in the works of creation. 



to be as attentive to these things as we ought to be, that we may know 
thou art the Lord who madest the heavens and the earth. Let these 
considerations be the means of filling us with love to, reverence for, 
and confidence in, this most amiable, most magnificent, and most pow- 
erful of all beings ! 



OCTOBER XXVIII. 

THE LAW OF INERTIA. 

Inertia is nothing more than the power of resistance, through 
which all bodies are disposed to remain in that state in which they 
are. When a body is at rest, it resists the motion which we desire 
to give it ; but when it is once put in motion, it persists in it from the 
same cause of inertia, and resists as forcibly those bodies which 
would stop its progress, as it did those which first put it in motion. 
Nothing can be wiser than this law, which the Creator has established. 
Through this, bodies move with perfect regularity ; and by it we can 
exactly determine the laws of motion and percussion. 

If the celestial bodies had not this power of resistance, they could 
not move with so much order and regularity ; and they must continu- 
ally have a new moving cause to preserve them in motion. From 
this it appears, that an infinite wisdom formed and arranged the uni- 
verse. The suppression of any one part of the immense edifice 
would bring the rest into disorder. Of what use would the regular 
structure of plants and animals, and the admirable arrangement of 
the celestial bodies be, if these different bodies were not susceptible 
of motion ? But how simple is this lavv', and how wonderful are its 
effects ! Such are all the works of the Creator : the principles are 
extremely simple, but the whole edifice is so much the more admira- 
ble. The universe resembles a magnificent palace : the strong and 
rugged walls on which the building rests, appear to have neither 
elegance nor beauty. Nevertheless, they are so indispensable, that 
without them the least motion of the air would overturn the edifice. 

However, even these apparently rough foundations have their 
beauty, though every person is not capable of discerning it. One 
must be an architect himself, or at least, be well acquainted with the 
rules of this art, in order to be able to enjoy the pleasure which the 
construction and symmetry of the foundations afford. None but an 
artist can perceive why the foundation has that depth, breadth, and 
length, which the architect has given it : he sees that it must be such 
as it is, that it may be what it ought to be : he has the satisfaction to 
be capable of forming a right judgment of the work : and he knows 
that the work is perfect. This is exactly the case in contemplating 
the works of God. Every spectator is not able to discover the fun- 
damental laws on which the greater part of the phenomena depend, 
nor to find out the wisdom of the plan. This knowledge is reserved 



510 OCTOBER XXVllL 



Law of inertia. 



for the true philosopher, and is to him a source of inexpressible pleasure. 
It seems as if there was also a certain inertm in mind^ as well as 
in TRoMer. Bodies which constantly move in the same way, and lo 
the same point, have a certain tendency to it. The human spirit has 
a certain propensity to those actions which we have often in the same 
way repeated. Hence it is, that we find such difficulty to conquer 
certain habits. Now we might make an excellent use of this natural 
inertness of our minds, in using it to strengthen us in virtue. In order 
to this we should often repeat the same acts, till we feel ourselves as 
much accustomed to good and virtuous actions, as we are at present 
to those that are vicious. This is so much the more important, as, 
without virtue, we can never arrive at true and solid peace. But 
whence come the mistakes into which we so frequently fall, in this 
respect ? Why do we continually pursue imaginary good, which, m 
the end, leads us to destruction ? Our hearts, seduced by that prid-e 
which is natural to them, and dazzled with the false splendour of sen- 
sible things, cause us reluctantly to approach the paths of uprightness. 
But let us not be discouraged with being obliged to do violence to 
our evil passions and propensities. The vicious themselves are often 
obliged to restrain and resist their passions in order to procure some 
temporal advantage, or to escape some particular danger. And the 
efforts which they are obliged to make, in order to resist their sen- 
sual appetites and desires, must be very bitter and grievous to men 
of corrupt minds. On the contrary, what pleasing satisfaction must 
they feel, whose souls have resumed the authority which they should 
ever maintain over their senses ! A frequent exercise of this autho- 
rity may be a mean of conducting us to that happy state, where the 
soul, elevated (so to speak) above the tumultuous region of passions, 
sees, with pity, the mean and despicable swarm of the slaves of vice. 

There is a good deal of strength in tlie above reasoning; but I am firmly persuaded, 
that a habit of righteousness never was, and never can be acquired merely by a repetition 
of acts. The power of God alone can dispose the soul to do good ; and it ever was, and 
ever will be, the prerogative of the grace of Christ to change the liUrnan heart. Yet he 
who acts m the above way, under the Divine injluence, will certainly come good speed. 

A. C. 



OCTOBER XXIX. 



THE WANTS OF MEN. 



Theee is no creature on the earth which has so many wants as 
man. We came into the world naked, destitute, and ignorant. Na- 
ture has not endued us with that industry, and those instincts, which 
beasts have at their birth : reason only has been bestowed on us, that 
we might acquire, through it, requisite talents and knowledge. In 
this respect, the state of the brute creation may appear enviable. Is 



OCTOBER XXIX. 511 



Wants of men. 



it not happy for them that they have no need of the clothing, instru- 
ments, and conveniences which are so requisite for us; and that 
they are not obliged to invent and exercise that multitude of arts and 
sciences, without which we could not procure ourselves the neces- 
saries of life ? They bring with them, at their birth, clothing, arms, 
and every thing they need ; and if they want any thing, they can easily 
procure it by means of those natural instincts which they blindly follow. 
If they want dwelling places, they either know how to dig or build 
them. Have they need of beds, coverings, changes of raiment? they 
know how to spin or weave them ; to cast off their old garments, and 
get new. If they have enemies, they are provided with arms for 
their defence : if they be sick or wounded, they know where to find 
proper remedies. Now we, who are so superior to all other anim.als, 
have more wants, and fewer means of supplying them. i 

It may be asked, why the Creator has, in all these respects, privi- 
leged man less than the beasts This curiosity is doubtless excusa- 
ble, provided it be unaccompanied with complaining. The wisdom 
of the Deity is manifested in this, as well as in every other thing. In 
subjecting men to so many wants, God designed that they should be 
continually obliged to exercise^ that reason which he has given, to 
their happiness : and which to us supplies the place of all the re- 
sources of other animals. And because we are destitute of those 
instincts with which they are endowed, we are obliged to use our 
reason in order to gain a knowledge of the world and of ourselves ; 
to be active, diligent, and laborious, that we may guard against want, 
pain, and disappointment ; and so lead a quiet and pleasant life. By 
using our reason, we see the necessity of bridling our strong pas- 
sions, and avoiding those excesses which might prove fatal to us. A 
few examples may convince us of this. If v/e could procure fruits-, 
and all other necessary aliments, without labour, we should infallibly 
become indolent and idle, and would spend our lives in the most de- 
grading sloth. 

The noblest faculties of man would be enfeebled, and become stu- 
pid. The bonds of society would be broken : for men would no 
longer live in a state of mutual depen dance. Even children could 
then do without the assistance of their parents, and would need no 
help from others. The whole human race would fall into a state of 
barbarism and savage stupidity ; each, like the brutes, would live for 
himself, and there would be neither subordination, nor mutual obliga- 
tions, nor good offices. It is to our wants that we owe the develope- 
ment of our faculties, and the prerogatives of humanity. They awa- 
ken the mind, dispose us to activity and industry, by which our lives 
are made more easy and pleasant than those of other animals. Our 
wants have made us sociable, rational, and regular in our manners : 
and have led us to invent a multitude of useful arts and sciences. In 
general, an active and industrious life is both useful and necessary to 
man. Were not his strength and faculties brought into action, they 
would become a burden to himself: he would gradually fall into stupid 



512 OCTOBER XXIX. 



Wants of men. 



ignorance, into low, brutal indulgences, and into all the vices necessa- 
rily resulting from them. 

Labour, on the contrary, puts the whole machine into a pleasing 
state of action, and procures us satisfaction and pleasure, in propor- 
tion as it requires invention, reflection, and knowledge. Natural 
wants were to us indispensably necessary, that we might be rational, 
wise, social, virtuous, and happy. If, after having been fed with our 
mother's milk, we had no need of succour or instruction, we should 
live for ourselves alone, refer every thing to ourselves, learn no lan- 
guage, and make no use of our reason : stupid, and profoundly igno- 
rant of ourselves and other beings, we should understand neither arts 
nor sciences, and be strangers to the noblest pleasures of the mind. 
But now the wants of children, and the helpless state in which they 
come into the world, oblige the parents, through pity and tenderness, 
to take care of them ; while the children, on their part, are attached 
to their parents through a sense of their wants, and a fear of danger, 
they submit to be guided and formed by their example and instruc- 
tion ; and learn from them how to use their reason, and to act up- 
rightly. Thus they may become worthy people and good citizens, 
and be enabled to lead an honest and^appy life. Possessed of such 
advantages, we may easily dispense wath those which the animals ap- 
pear to have over us. We have no need of furs or feathers to clothe 
us ; no need of teeth and talons to defend us, nor of certain natural 
instincts and sensations to procure us the things necessary to our sup- 
port and preservation. These gifts of nature would only degrade us, 
and bring us into a state of mere animal perfection. Our senses, our 
reason, and our hands, suffice to procure us clothing, weapons, food, 
and every necessary for our safety, support, and pleasure ; and ena- 
ble us to apply to our use all the riches of the kingdom of nature. 

We see, therefore, that the wants of which so many complain, are 
the very foundation of our civil happiness ; and the best means which 
the wisdom and goodness of God could choose to direct the faculties of 
men to their greatest advantage. Were they only wise enough to ex- 
ercise themselves in this way, they would save themselves a great 
deal of trouble. Not one in a hundred of the miserable could attri- 
bute his distresses to misfortune ; and we should confess, that the 
quantum of good far exceeds the quantum of evil : that our afflictions 
are softened by a thousand advantages ; and that it is in our power not 
only to lead a tolerable, but even a happy life. 



OCTOBER XXX. 

ON PRESENTIMENTS. 

The faculty which our souls have of foresight, manifests itself by 
such extraordinary effects, that it must strike us with astonishment. 
The sensations and representations which foresight produces, are 



i 



OCTOBER XXX. 



On- presentiments. 



sometimes so obscure and wrapped up in the essence of the mind, that 
we are not conscious of them. The soul, however, draws very exact 
conclusions from them ; and the image of the future presents itself 
clearly enough to convince the mind that has that preconception. It 
then forms conjectures and presages without knowing how it has been 
led to them, and in its astonishment often mistakes them for inspira- 
tions. This is what is called 'presentiment ; when, without being able 
to account for the way in which we foresee a future event, we have, 
notwithstanding, an idea more or less clear of it. But it should be here 
observed, that presentiment is, in its nature, a representation much 
weaker than sensation ; therefore it cannot be well distinguished when 
the senses and a heated imagination put the soul into a violent agita- 
tion. But when the soul is calm, presentiments are more clear : 
hence it is, that they take place chiefly in the silence of the night, in 
sleep, and in dreams. At such times, man is often raised above him- 
self ; the vail which covers futurity is drawn from before his eyes, 
without his knowing how it was done ; and he ean speak of future 
events, while he is scarcely able to see those which pass before his 
eyes. 

A multitude of facts prove, beyond a doubt, that the soul has the 
facility of sometimes foreseeing the future : and he must have a slight 
acquaintance with nature, who would deny a thing merely because it 
appears extraordinary, or inexplicable. This secret and unknown 
emotion, which warns us sometimes of what is to happen, really ex- 
ists in the essence of our souls ; and history is so full of examples of 
this, that we cannot possibly deny them all. Few persons have arri- 
ved at mature age without having had some such presentiments. The 
soul is a representative power of the universe, in reference to the 
place it occupies in it : it has the faculty of representing the past as 
well as the present, why then may it not have the faculty of represent- 
ing the future also, and even contingent events ? It may employ, for 
this purpose, means similar to those which it uses to represent the 
past. Provided it has been informed of past events, it can repre- 
sent them as if they were present : and why should we consider it 
an impossible thing that it should be informed of future events ? In 
the universe there are millions of intelligences superior to man, who 
may reveal to him some part of futurity : or there may be in the hu- 
man soul a certain power hitherto unknown, which enables man to 
foresee distant and future events. 

But however obscure and inexplicable the cause of presentiment 
may be, it is enough for us to know that it may contribute, in a direct 
or indirect manner, to our happiness. At one time it may warn us of 
our approaching danger : at another time it announces some pleasing 
and happy event. In both cases this presentiment may be very ad- 
vantageous to us : we have only to take care that this faculty of our 
soul become not our torment, but that it serve, on the contrary, to 
establish and increase our tranquillity. We must particularly guard 
against all superstition : we must not trust too much to these prescn- 

6.5 



514 OCTOBER XXX. 



On presentiments. 



timents, noT draw rash conclusions from them. They must not lead 
us to neglect the performance of any duty ; and we must never for- 
get, that God alone deserves all our confidence. 



OCTOBER XXXI. 

A HYMN ON THE POWER AND PROVIDENCE OF GOD.' 

God is my song. He is the strong God ; the Lord is his name, his 
works are great, and his government extends to the heavens. 

He wills and speaks, and millions of worlds spring into existence : 
he threatens, and worlds are reduced into dust. 

Light is his garment; his counsels are wisdom and truth. As 
God he reigns ; truth and righteousness are the foundation of his 
throne. 

Monarch of all the world ! Who is like unto thee ? Without be- 
ginning of days, or end of time ! The only, the never-ceasing source 
of glory, riches, and happiness ! 

All that is, was, or shall be, in heaven, earth, or sea, is known by 
the Lord. His innumerable works have been before his eyes from 
eternity. 

He encompasses me ; he watches over me ; and under the- shadow 
of his wings I rest in safety. None of my actions can escape his 
notice : he searches the heart. 

He is nigh to. thee ; he knows thy rising up, and lying down : he 
sees thy thoughts long before they are formed. Shouldest thou climb 
up to heaven, he is there : shouldest thou fly on the rays of light to 
the limits of the universe, he is there also. 

He knows my troubles ; he hears my prayers ; he understands 
all that passes in my heart. My good and my bad actions are equally 
known unto him ; and when I stumble, his merciful hand upholds me. 

From eternity he has prepared my welfare ; w^hatever concerns me 
is written in his book ; his finger marked it down before I was born ; 
as also the number of my days. 

I have nothing but what has come from God ! Lord, I am thine ! 
It is by thy goodness I live. Therefore I will give glory to thy name, 
and thy praise shall be eternally in my mouth. 

Who can comprehend and recount the grandeur and magnificence 
of thy wonders ! Every grain of dust announces the power of its 
Creator. 

Thy wisdom is seen in the smallest spire af grass : air, sea, fields, 
valleys, and hills, proclaim thy praise. 

Thou waterest the earth, and spreadest a verdant carpet under our 
feet : we are encompassed by thy mercies : the day and the night, 
the corn and the fruit of the vine, plenty and joy, all come from 
thee. 



OCTOBER XXXI. 515 



A hymn on the power and providence of God. 



A sparrow falls not to the earth without thy notice : then shall I 
abandon my heart to vexation, and not confide in thy paternal care ? 

If the Lord be my protector, my sun, my shield, and my deliverer, 
I have nothing to fear from heaven nor from earth ; nor shall all the 
powers of hell cause me to tremble. 



NOVEMBER. 

NOVEMBER I. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE. 

Thou, O Lord hast created the hosts of heaven ; and the blessed 
spirits which encompass thy august throne. The heavens, in their 
immense extent and all the magnificence with which thou hast 
adorned them, are only the tabernacles of those sublime intelligences, 
which know and adore thee. 

Thou hast adorned this globe of earth with a thousand beauties 
which enchant the mind. The sun which illumines these worlds, 
fertilizes the earth, and enriches it with so many benefits, is so esta- 
blished by thee that he cannot be moved. 

At thy command, the moon, the flambeau and ornament of the 
night, favours us with her mild light. Wherever we look, wherever 
we go, we see new proofs of thy goodness : onus thy blessing con- 
tinually rests. 

Springs and unfailing fountains bubble forth in our behalf, and fur- 
nish us with limpid and wholesome water. The gentle dew waters 
and refreshes our meadows. Mountains and valleys, forests and 
fields, present us with a thousand thousand beauties. The whol6 
earth, which thy hand supports in the immensity of space, is full of 
thy riches, crowned with thy goodness, and fertilized by thy bounty. 

Let us bear, without murmuring, the afflictions of life ; frequent 
blessings, and especially the blessed hope of eternal felicity, shall 
assuage our griefs. The ma,gnificent spectacle of nature shall reani- 
mate us, and the beams of his grace shall dry up our tears. 

But who can fathom the depth of thy ways ! In this life, good ancf 
evil walk side by side : earthquakes, thunder, tempests, war ; conta- 
gious and innumerable maladies, disturb the repose of mortals : 
we shall fall before death ; he spreads devastation every where, and 
respects no person. 

A blast overturns us, and precipitates us into the tomb, and we are 
reduced into dust. But, everlasting thanks be to God, we expect a 
new life through the Lord Jesus, who has conquered death, and 
brought life and immortality to light by his GospeL 



516 NOVEMBER I.* 



Marine animals. 



NOVEMBER I.^ 

MARINE ANIMALS. 

At first it seems difficult to believe that living creatures could be 
found in the sea. It contains so many different kinds of plants, herbs, 
trees, and bushes, which so grow and twine together, that this must 
apparently render the paths of the great deep impassable, as no- 
thing but confusion and disorder seem to reign in that extensive wild. 
But can there be in the sea living creatures, connected with each 
other ? Nothing is more true, how strange soever it may at first sight 
appear. And it is not some individuals only that the sea contains, 
but such an innumerable multitude of different kinds, that we are 
very far from knowing them all, much less can we tell the individuals 
which belong to each species. 

Among this innumerable multitude of animated beings there is no 
confusion ; they may be all easily distinguished ; for in the sea, as 
well as every where else, the most perfect order prevails. All these 
creatures may be ranged in certain classes : they all have their par- 
ticular nature, food, manner of life, characteristics, and peculiar in- 
stincts. In the sea as well as upon the land, there are gradations, 
shades, and insensible steps from one species to another. One begins 
where the other ends. The stone, which is at the highest step of the 
ladder in the mineral kingdom, is one half of it a plant. The plant 
which terminates the vegetable kingdom, belongs, in part, to the ani- 
mal kingdom : and the beast which connects the human and the 
brute creation has a great resemblance to man. So likewise in the 
sea, nature passes gradually from little to great : perfects insensibly 
the different kinds, and unites all beings by an immense chain, which 
is not deficient in a single link. 

What a prodigious multitude of inhabitants must the sea contain! 
What a variety is there among them ! What a diversity in their forms, 
instincts, and destination ! Some are so small that they can be scarcely 
perceived ; others are so large that we are terrified at their enor- 
mous bulk. Some are entirely without ornament, and so like the 
sea in colour, that it is almost impossible to perceive them in that 
element. Nature has adorned others with the most vivid and mag- 
nificent colours. Some kinds do not multiply much, because, if they 
did, they would devour and destroy all the rest. Others, on the con- 
trary, multiply prodigiously, because they serve for food to men and 
other animals. 

Lord, how numerous are thy works ! In wisdom thou hast made 
them all : the earth is full of thy goodnes's, so is this great and wide 
sea. wherein are creatures innumerable, both great and small animals. 
There go the ships ; there are the great whales which thou hast formed 
to sport therein. These wait ail upon thee, that thou mayest give 
them their meat in due season. Psalm, civ. 24—27. 



NOVEMBER II. 517 



The connexion of natural things. 



NOVEMBER II. 

THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CONNECTING ALL PARTS OF NATURE. 

As all the members of our bodies, taken collectively, form but one 
whole, constructed and arranged in the utmost wisdom ; in like man- 
ner, the different kinds of natural productions are so many parts out 
of which the Supreme Wisdom has formed one perfect whole. A 
little attention only is necessary to convince us that every thing in na- 
ture is connected so as to form a perfect system. Different kinds of 
mineral earths manifestly nourish and support the vegetable king- 
dom, without which, animals could not exist. Fire, water, and air, 
are indispensably necessary for the preservation of this terrestrial 
globe : there is, therefore, an indissoluble bond between all the beings 
of which our globe is composed ; and philosophers have demonstrated 
that the globe itself has a necessary connexion with the sun, the 
planets, and the whole creation. Now, to connect together this in- 
finite multitude of different beings, and to fonn. hm one whole out of 
all these parts, required unbounded wisdom. This alone could con- 
nect so many millions of different creatures, and unite them in such 
a manner that they should subsist in continual relation to each other, 
and minister to each other's support. 

That we may not lose ourselves in this immense ocean of creation, 
let us only consider our own globe, which is one of the most incon- 
siderable parts of the universe. The wisdom we discover in it will 
enable us to judge of what is manifested in the rest of creation. At 
present let us reflect only on what is before our eyes. If we ex- 
amine the animal kingdom in the relation it has to the rest of nature ; 
if we reflect on the wants which are common to all the animals, we 
cannot but be struck with the admirable harmony which we discover 
in it. Heat, air, water, and light, are absolutely necessary for the 
preservation of all creatures. But there must be a just proportion 
of them. Too much or too little would be equally injurious, and 
make a general chaos of nature. One degree too much in the uni- 
versal Leat would destroy every living creature. For if our earth, 
taken in the whole, received more heat from the sun, it would neces- 
sarily follow, that the summer would be hotter in every climate than 
it is at present. But experience tells us that in all countries the 
heat is sometimes so great, that were it to be increased a little, either 
in degree or duration, all the animals must perish, and all the vege- 
tables be burnt up. On the other hand, if we had less heat we 
should be equally injured; seeing at present the cold is sometimes 
so intense, that many animals are in danger of being frozen to death ; 
and it is not an uncommon thing to see some killed by the severity of 
the cold. The earth, therefore, receives that degree of heat from 
the sun which is proper for all the creatures, and any other degree 
would be destructive. There is the same just proportion in the air. 
The ascent of vapours depends chiefly on the weight of the air, and 



518 NOVEMBER IL 



The connexion of natural ihings. 



the descent of rain on its lightness. Now if the air could not condense 
and rarefy itself alternately, and become at one time heavy, at another 
time light, we should not have that diversity of temperature which is 
so necessary for the vegetation of plants, and consequently for the 
life of animals. 

Were the air in general more weighty than it is, it would be more 
laden with vapours, clouds, and fogs ; and through its excessive hu- 
midity would be injurious to plants and animals. If, on the contrary, 
it were lighter^ the vapours could neither ascend nor collect in 
clouds. It is the same every where. Nature observes a just me- 
dium in all things ; and as all the elements are so arranged as best to 
secure the preservation of animals, so they are in perfect harmony 
with all the other parts of nature. The air not only produces those 
variations of temperature which are so necessary, but it is at the 
same time the vehicle of sound. It has been appropriated to our ear, 
and here again a iparvellous wisdom is manifested : for if the air 
were more or less elastic^ were more dense or more rare^ the ear 
VvTould suffer by it greatly ; and the soft and pleasing voice of man, 
would either resemble claps of thunder, or the hissing of serpents. 
The air also contributes to the circulation of the blood : it penetrates 
the very smallest ramification of the veins : were it more dense, its 
force would break every thing : were it more rare, its action would 
be too weak. There are a thousand other relations between the air 
and different beings ; and it has all the properties that each requires. 

Now, if we consider that many thousands of plants and animals 
have equal need of air, heat, and light ; that each of these species is 
different from the others ; that it has its distinct and peculiar charac- 
teristics ; that it is weaker or stronger than others ; and that, never- 
theless, these elements are equally suited to all, and supply their 
different wants ; shall we not acknowledge that an unbounded wisdom, 
to which nothing is difficult, has established these admirable and har- 
monious relations among so many different beings? In a word, every 
thing in nature is made in number, weight, and measure, and directed 
to the accomplishment of determinate ends. Not only the trees 
which rise so majestically, the plants which have such beautiful 
forms, the fruitful fields and meadows, the serviceable horse, the 
flocks which feed us, the mines which produce so many ornaments 
and so many riches ; the sea, which garnishes our tables with such 
exquisite fish, and which conveys navigators from one part of. the 
world to another ; the planets which have such influence on our 
globe ; not only, I say, those brilliant parts of the creation, but even 
the mosses, the shellfish, and the insects, all contribute to the perfection 
of the whole. 

Infinitely powerful Being ! Creator and preserver of all things ! 
can I contemplate these objects without thinking of thee, and admir- 
ing thy wisdom ! Without thee, without thy salutary influences, all 
would be in darkness, confusion, and disorder : there would be 
neither connexion, harmony, nor pleasure upon earth. 



NOVEMBER II. 519 



The connexion of natural things. 



" Yes, Lord, it is thy wisdom which adorns, enriches, and supports 
all things. It is thy wisdom which gives life and happiness to the 
animal creation. Let it ever be the subject of our songs. May we 
praise thee incessantly, O our God, and sing hymns to thy honour ; 
for to thee appertain both wisdom and strength." 



NOVEMBER III. 

BED. 

Perhaps in summer we have not been so sensible as we ought of 
the comforts of a hed : but now that the cold daily increases, we begin 
to consider this as one of the particular blessings which we receive 
from the kindness of God. If we were deprived of it in these cold 
nights, perspiration could not be carried on so well ; our health would 
be impaired, and our sleep would not be so comfortable and refresh- 
ing. On this account, bed is a considerable benefit to us. But whence 
com.es that warmth which we feel in it ? We mistake if we suppose 
it is the bed that warms us : far from being able to communicate any 
heat to us, it is from our bodies it receives its warmth. It only 
prevents the heat, which evaporates from our bodies, from being dis- 
sipated in the air : it confines and concentrates it. 

We shall be more sensible of this blessing, if we consider how 
many creatures concur to procure a quiet sleep. How many animals 
must furnish feathers and hair for this purpose ! Supposing that a 
common bed contains Jifty-six pounds of feathers ; and that one goose 
produces about half a pound : the spoils of one hundred and ticelve 
geese Avill be necessary for one bed ! But it requires many hands 
and materials besides. Now, by such calculations as these, we may 
learn the better the value of God's blessings. Generally we consider 
the blessings he communicates in a very superficial manner: but if 
we examine them in detail, we shall form a difl^erent opinion of them 
from what we commonly do. Let us consider the different parts of 
w^hich our bed is composed, and we shall be astonished to find that it 
requires the labour of ten men at least; that it has cost the lives of as 
many animals ; that the field must furnish flax for the sheets and 
quilts ; sheep, wool for the blankets ; the forests, timber for the 
bedsteads, &c. We see then that a considerable part oi the creation 
is put in motion to afibrd one refreshing night's rest. 

We may make the same reflections in the most common daily 
blessings we enjoy. Our linen, clothes, shoes, and stockings, meat, 
drink, in a word, all the necessaries of life, can only be procured 
for us by the united labour of a multitude of persons. Can we then 
lie down on our beds without feeling sentiments of gratitude ? At the 
conclusion of each day we have a thousand other subjects of praise 
to God : but had we only this, it would deserve our utmost gratitude, 



520 NOVEMBER III. 



What sweet repose, \yhat comfort, do our beds afford us after the 
fatigues of the day ! In these cold nights the best warm room would 
by no means answer so good an end to us as a bed. A warm apart- 
ment can give only an unequal heat ; whereas the whole body is equal- 
ly warmed in bed, and that with the most temperate degree of heat. 
By means of this we can procure ourselves, at little expense, the 
warmth, comfort, and rest, which are requisite. If then it be a mark 
of irreligion for a man to sit down to food without giving God thanks, it 
is more so to lie down in bed without being thankful to him : seeing 
the refreshment which our bed affords us is of longer duration, less 
expensive, and not less necessary for our health. Let us, therefore, 
bless God for this enjoyment, and never forget the excellence of the 
blessing. We should be the more thankful, when we consider how 
many of our fellow-creatures either have no beds to rest on, or cannot 
rest on them. These distressed people highly deserve our pity. 
How many are exposed to the open air, in all the inclemency of the 
season, travelling either by land or water? How many confined in 
prisons, or in wretched cabins, who long for rest, and would think 
themselves the happiest of mortals had they but a small part of the 
blessings which we enjoy ? 

It is not unreasonable to suppose that the hundredth part of the 
inhabitants of a town or city are found in such distressing circum- 
stances as these. What advantages have we over them ! How many 
of our fellow-creatures are obliged to watch the whole night ! The 
soldier at his post, the sailor in his ship, &:c. But how many are 
there, who, though they have beds, cannot find rest on them ! In the 
compass even of a few miles, how many sick persons are there whose 
pains prevent them from sleeping ! And others are kept awake by 
carking care. Sinners, by remorse of conscience, are deprived of 
the sweets of sleep : with many other wretched people, whose 
secret afflictions and poverty, together with their anxiety for the 
future, do not permit them to take the least repose. Now what is 
our duty in reference to them ? If we have not the ability to supply 
their wants, and assuage their pains, let them at least share our 
compassion, and have an interest in our prayers. As often as we 
seek rest in bed, let us pray for those who are deprived of it ; either 
through sickness, anxiety, poverty, or any other cause of distress. 
Let us especially remember those who are obliged to lie on the bare 
ground. Let us think also of our sick and death-bed. We shall not 
always sleep as comfortably as we do at present. Nights may come in 
which w3 may water our couch with our tears ; and in which the pains 
of death shall compass us about. But even these shall be followed 
with a peaceable rest in the grave. If we sleep in the Lord, we 
shall awake again with new energy ; and contemplate the glories of 
our God. Let us, therefore, in #^ days of health and prosperity, 
think of this last bed, our bed of earth; and let us live so as to be 
able to think of it with satisfaction and joy. 



NOVEMBER IV. 521 



^Reflections on the past summer. 



NOVEMBER IV. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST SUMMER. 

The fine days are gone ; and, except the pleasing recollection of 
having enjoyed them, they leave us nothing but emblems of frailty. 
How is the whole face of nature changed ! The rays of the sun fall 
faintly through the gloomy clouds, on gardens stripped of their flow- 
ers, on fields where no traces of crops remain, and on hills where 
little verdure is to be seen. The air no longer resounds with the 
melodious singing of birds, and the gloomy silence which reigns every 
where, is only interrupted witti the croaking of jackdaws, or the 
shrill cries of those birds of passage which now take their leave 
of us in order to seek a warmer climate. The surrounding moun- 
tains are deserted ; they are no longer covered with flocks, nor enli- 
vened with the bleating of the sheep : the hotbeds and parterres are 
laid w^aste. What a gloomy and dismal aspect does the whole coun- 
try wear which was lately so beautiful ! Instead of that lovely ver- 
dure, the principal ornament of the fields, they present little to the 
eye but a pale and dismal yellow. The clouds are laden with cold 
rain, and the thick mists vail the serenity of the morning. 

Such are the prospects which nature, now presents; and who can 
view them without reflecting on the frailty and inconstancy of all ter- 
restrial things ? The fine days are gone : just while we were prepa- 
ring to enjoy them, they are fled away ! But have we a right to . 
murmur and find fault with the dispensations of the Lord ? No, cer- 
tainly : we should rather recollect these summer days, and the inno- 
. cent pleasures with which they have been crowned : and return praise 
for them to the Ruler of seasons. What sweet sensations have been 
impressed on our hearts ; with what pure joy have our souls been filled, 
when we contemplated the beauties of nature ; when the mountains 
and the valleys grew green before our eyes ; when the lark in the 
luminous clouds, and the nightingale in the shady thickets, caused 
their, harmonious notes to be heard : when we respired the sweet per- 
fumes of the flowers ; when the dawn, immediately succeeding the 
twilight, diffused joy and gladness around; and when the setting sun 
tinged the forests and hills with the most beautiful red ! What happy 
days have we spent in the enjoyment of beauteous nature ! What 
rich presents have been made to us by the gardens, orchards, and fields ; 
exclusive of the pleasures which our imagination and senses have re- 
ceived from them ! Can we think of the past m.onths without feeling 
a sweet emotion, and without praising the Parent of nature, who has 
crowned the year with his goodness ? 

We now live on the gifts of summer and autumn. We have seen 
with what activity nature laboured, in those fine seasons, to accom- 
plish the beneficent views of the Creator in the behalf of man. How 
many plants and flowers has spring thus produced ! What crops of 
fruits has summer ripened : and what an abundant harvest has been 



522 NOVEMBER lY. 



Reflections on the past summer. 



collected in autumn ! The earth has now fulfilled its design for this 
year, and is going to repose for a short time. Thus nature is con» 
tinually employed during the greatest part of the year : even in her rest 
she is active : and in silence prepares a new creation. Have we been 
equally active ? Have we employed our time so as to bring forth fruit ? 
The husbandman now counts his sheaves : should we not be able to 
reckon some virtues, some good works ? Have the pleasures of sum- 
mer rendered us better and more grateful ? Has a contemplation of 
nature excited us to lift our hearts to God ? What have our occupa- 
tions been during the long summer days ? Have they contributed to 
the glory of God, and the good of our fellow-creatures ? In contem- 
plating the sun, the flowers, and so many delightful objects, have we 
felt those sentiments which such magnificent scenes are calculated to 
excite ? Are we conscious that this summer has not, like many others, 
been lost upon us ? 

We are still blest with life ; and can reflect on the spring and sum- 
mer which are just elapsed. Can all those who have seen the first of 
May, say as much ? Alas, many of them before the end of the sum- 
mer, yea, even before it began, have passed from the land of the living 
into the empire of the dead. It is right, O our God and Preserver, 
that we should bless thee for our continued existence. But we also 
shall soon depart ; and possibly we have seen our last summer ! 
And what shall become of us, if we be called to give account of the 
manner in which we have spent the past ? Enter not into judgment 
with us, O God ! 



NOVEMBER V. 

INCONVENIENCES OF THE NIGHT. 

At this season the nights continually increase in length ; and it can- 
not be denied but this arrangement is, in some respects, disagreeable. 
For although a part of the night is appropriated to strengthen and 
refresh us by sleep, this very circumstance points out to us the weak- 
ness and frailty of our nature. Hence it is, that at the commence- 
ment of the night, all our employments are interrupted, not only 
from the want of light, but also from the necessity of repose, and 
from the animal strength and spirits being exhausted. It is no won- 
der, therefore, that the hours of the night should appear so long and 
tedious, especially when we are restless and cannot sleep. 

With what impatience does the sick man count the hours, and long 
for the rising of the sun I Another inconvenience of night is, that 
we are exposed to lose our way and meet with disasters. When the 
light of the sun is withdrawn, and the shades of night vail the sky, 
we cannot see where we w^alk ; we are every moment stopped, and 
make false steps. How many travellers wander in the night time ; 
gel into bad roads, among briars and thorns, bogs and pits, and by fall- 



NOVEMBER V. 5-23 



Inconveniences of the night. 



ing over precipices meet with instant death ? Beside, during the 
night we are exposed to attacks, either in our own houses or on a 
journey? by wicked and perverse men ; for the darkness of the night 
is favourable to all sorts of crimes, encourages the disturbers of the 
public peace, and vails their transgressions from the eyes of "men. 
What renders the nights still further inconvenient is, that they are 
cold : for when the sun is set, and his rays are withdrawn, one half 
of the globe is deprived of his vivifying heat, as well as of his light, 
and this renders the long winter nights very disagreeable. We may 
add to all this, that night, by its regular return, presents us continually 
with a new emblem of death. 

There is neither constant night nor day upon the earth : and 
although the tim.e of darkness in winter is long; and that even du- 
ring the summer, the regular returns of darkness cause the division 
of days, it is nevertheless certain, that God has given our globe more 
light than darkness'; an advantage which we enjoy by means of the 
twilight, and by the light of the moon and stars. Blessed be the Lord 
for the light of the moon and stars ! Blessed be his name for the light 
of the sun, and the splendour of noonday ! But more especially may 
his name be magnified for the light which his Gospel has diffused over 
the da.rk night of ignorance, error, and misery ! Some rays from the 
heavenly world fall upon us and enlighten us in the dark path in 
which we v\'alk ! Let us remember that in our most obscure nights, 
in our times of sorrow and distress, we are marching to the region of 
light and joy. Should it sometimes happen that sleep forsakes us in 
the midst of the darkness of the night, or that sickness or perplex- 
ing cares cause us to reckon the melancholy hours, let us comfort 
ourselves with this thought, that we are not buried without hope in 
the darkness of an eternal night, but that we are advancing toward 
our heavenly country, toward those blessed mansions where there 
is no night nor alternatives of light and darkness, no sorrow nor 
anxious care. 

-Blessed be God that the night of ignorance, darkness, and distress, 
with which we are encompassed here below, is not an eternal night ! 
Heaven and an endless glory will soon be the portion of the righteous. 
Sun and moon, and ye radiant stars which blaze in the firmament, 
hasten on and finish the race set before you ! Increase your speed, 
that the time of trial, the revolutions of day and night, of months and 
years, which are assigned me may be terminated. May the light of 
faith enable me to discover the dawn of that great day, when all the 
nights and darkness which surround me shall end for ever ! Morning 
of eternity, haste thy appearing ; that all my hopes may be realized ! 
I long to arrive in those blessed mansions of that permanent city 
where there is no night ; but where an everlasting day shall inces- 
santly perfect our knowledge, our holiness, and consequently our 
felicity ! 



524 NOVEMBER VI. 



Reflections upon woods. 



NOVEMBER VI, 



REFLECTIONS UPON WOODS. 



Woods form one of the most beautiful pictures which the surface 
of the earth presents to the eye. It is true that at first sight they 
are unadorned beauties ; for we see at first only a confused collection 
of trees, and a dreary solitude. But an enlightened observer, who 
terms every thing beautiful which is good and useful, finds in such 
sights a thousand things worthy his attention. Let us, therefore, visit 
the forests, they will furnish us with many subjects of admiration and 
gratitude. 

Now that the walks in the fields and meadows are not so pleasant 
as they were in the summer, the forests are more interesting, and 
will yield us solid pleasure. For there is no place that invites us 
more to meditate on the grandeur and beauty of the works of nature 
than a lonely wood : the pleasing obscurity, and the profound silence 
which reign there, lead us to recollection, and awaken our imagi- 
nation. 

The multitude and variety of trees are the first things which at- 
tract our attention. They are not so much distinguished from each 
other by their height as they are by their manner of growth, their 
leaves, and their texture. The resinous pine is not remarkable for 
the beauty of its leaves ; they are narrow and pointed, but they last 
long, like those of the^r ; and their verdure, during the winter, recals 
to our memory the beauty of the summer months. The foliage of 
the lime tree, the ash, and the heech, is much more beautiful and va- 
ried. The verdure of these is admirable : it relieves and strength- 
ens the sight ; and the broad indented leaves of some of them form 
an admirable contrast with the narrow fibrous leaves of others. Their 
seeds, manner of being propagated, and the use of their fruit, are as 
yet but imperfectly known. But to what a variety of purposes may 
the timber of trees be applied I The oak, the growth of which is. so 
slow, and which only begins to put forth its leaves when other trees 
are adorned with them, furnishes the hardest wood, out of which the 
joiner, the cabinet maker, and the carver, know how to form a variety 
of works, which are so durable as even to defy, in some measure, the 
wastes of time. Lighter wood serves for other purposes : and as it 
is more plentiful, and grows quicker, it is of more general use. 

It is to forest trees we owe our houses, our' ships, apart of our fuel, 
a thousand moveables, and a thousand important articles of furniture. 
Wood is the principal matter, or most natural pabulum of fire ; with- 
out which, in many countries, men could neither prepare their food, 
nor carry on their manufactures. The industry of man has taught 
him to polish, turn, cut, and carve wood into a multitude of works, as 
elegant as they are durable. The divine wisdom has distributed fo- 
rests with more or less abundance over the whole earth. In some 
countries they are at a great distance from each other ; in others they 



NOVEMBER VI. 525 



Reflections upon woods. 



occupy many leagues, and raise their majestic tops to the clouds. A 
scarcity of woods in some countries is compensated by their abun- 
dance in others. Neither the continual use which men make of them, 
nor the ravages of accidental fires, nor the vast quantities consumed 
in severe winters, have yet been able to exhaust these rich gifts of 
nature. In the space of twenty years we see a forest, where we had 
before discovered some low copse, or a few scattered trees. 

Do we not plainly see in all this the power and goodness of oar 
heavenly Father ? How superior is his wisdom to ours ! If we had 
assisted at the works of creation, probably we should have formed 
many objections to the production of forests ; we should have pre- 
ferred orchards and fertile fields. But that Being who is infinitely 
wise, has foreseen the necessities of men in all possible circumstan- 
ces. And it is in those very countries where the cold is most intense, 
or wood is needed for navigation, that the largest forests are found. 
From their unequal distribution, a considerable branch of commerce 
results, and new connexions are formed among men. Each of us 
partakes of the numerous advantages which woods afford to men ; 
and in creating forests God has designed the particular good which 
results to each. Blessed be thou, our heavenly Father, who hast con- 
descended to think of us before vv^e felt our necessities, or could re- 
present them to thee ! In every thing thou hast prevented our wishes, 
and liberally provided for us ! May we answer the end for which we 
were formed, and for which we have received so many benefits, and 
pay that tribute of gratitude, love, and praise, which is so justly thy 
due ! 

It is not left to man to plant and maintain forests. All other goods 
must be acquired by labour. The ground must be ploughed, and 
the seed sown at the expense of much trouble and toil. But God has 
reserved the trees of the forests to himself ; he has planted, he pre- 
serves them ; and man has little to do in their cultivation. They 
grow and multiply independently of his care ; they repair their 
losses continually by new shoots ; and there is always enough to 
supply our necessities. To be convinced of this we have only to 
cast our eye upon the seeds of the lime tree, the maple, and the elm, 
From these little seeds vast bodies are produced, which rear their 
heads to the clouds. It is thou alone, O Lord God Almighty, who 
hast established them, and hast supported them for ages against the 
eiforts of wi^ds and tempests ! It is thou who sendest dew and rain 
sufficient to make them renew their verdure annually, and to keep up 
a kind of immortality among them. 

The earth which bears the forests does not produce them ; and 
we might even say, that it does not nourish them. The verdure, 
flowers and seeds, with which trees are annually covered, and of 
which they are annually divested, and ihe sap which is continu- 
ally dissipated, are losses which would, in time, exhaust the earth 
itself, if it furnished the matter for them. Of itself it is a dull, heavy, 
dry, and barren mass, which derives from other quarters the juices 



526 NOVEMBEK VI. 



Reflections upon woods. 



and nourishment which it communicates to plants. The principles 
of their growth do not proceed from the earth ; but the air, without 
assistance, furnishes an abundance of water, salt, oil, and fire, and all 
other matters which are requisite for the growth of trees. 

O man ! laden, with so many benefits, raise thy heart to that great 
Being, who delights to do thee good. Woods and forests are heralds 
of his bounty, and thou must be guilty of the greatest ingratitude if 
thou neglect to acknowledge this benefit, which almost every part of 
thy house must recall to thy memory. 



NOVEMBER VII* 



THE SENSE OF FEELING IN ANIMALS. 



We may say with truth, that feeling is the universal sense of ani- 
mals : it is the basis of all other sensations : for oeeing, hearing, 
smelling, and tasting, cannot exist without contact. But as the touch 
operates differently in seeing from what it does in hearing, and in hear- 
ing from what it does in the other organs of sensation, we may there- 
fore distinguish the sense of feeling, properly so called, from the uni- 
versal sensation which we have already noticed. Both are produced 
through the medium of the nerves. Of these anatomists reckon ten 
principle pair ; they are like small cords or threads, and derive their 
origin from the brain : and are distributed through every part of the 
human body, even to the very extremities. Wherever there are 
nerves there is sensation : and wherever the seat of any particular 
sense is found, there are also nerves which are the general organ of that 
sense. There are optic nerves for the eyes ; auditory nerves for the 
cars ; olfactory nerves for the nose ; gustatory nerves for the tongue ; 
besides the nerves which minister to feeling, and which, like that 
sense, are distributed over the whole body. All these nerves pro- 
ceed from the spinal marrow, pass through the lateral opening of the 
vertebrse, and distribute themselves by innumerable ramifications to 
every part. 

The nerves which minister to feeling are found also through all 
the organs of the other senses ; for these organs, independently of 
their own peculiar sensations, must be susceptible of feeling. Hence 
it is, that the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, receive impressions which 
depend entirely on feeling, and are not produced by their own parti- 
cular nerves. That sensation is occasioned by the interposition of 
the nerves is indisputable ; for every member feels more strongly 
in proportion to the number of its nerves ; and feeling ceases where 
either there are no nerves, or the nerves are cut off. Incisions may 
be made in the fat ; bones, nails, and hair may be cut oflf, without 
exciting any pain : or if we think we experience any, it is the mere 
effect of imagination. The bones are encompassed with a nervous 
membrane, and the nails are attached to places where there is a plexics 



NOVEMBER VII. 5!^ 



Sense of feeling in animals. 



or tissue of nerves : and it is only when one of these nerves is irri- 
tated that we feel the sense of pain. Therefore we cannot with pro- 
priety say, my tooth aches ; for as it is a bone, it can have no feeling-, 
but the nerve which is attached to it may feel pain when too much 
irritated. 

Let us here admire the wisdom and goodness of God. In thus dif- 
fusing the sense of feeling over the whole body, he has evidently had 
our well-being in view. The other senses are situated where they 
may best accomplish their functions ; and serve for the preservation 
of all the members. Now as it was necessary for the security and 
welfare of the body, that each part might be informed of whatever 
may be useful or injurious, pleasing or disagreeable to it, it was also 
necessary that the sense of feeling should be diffused over the whole 
body. It is another proof of the Divine Wisdom, that several ani- 
mals should have the sense of feeling in a more exquisite degree 
than men have, as that delicacy of feeling is necessary for their man- 
ner of life ; and compensates them for the privation of some other 
sense. The horns of the snail, for instance, have the most exquisite 
sensibility ; the least obstacle causes them to draw them in with the 
utmost readiness. How delicate also must the feeling of the spider 
be, when in the midst of that web it has so ingeniously woven, it can 
perceive the least motion which the approach of other insects may 
occasion ! 

But without dwelling on the sense of feeling in animals, it will 
sufficiently excite our admiration if we consider this sense as it exists 
in man. How can the nerves (which appear to be only susceptible 
of less or more length, breadth, tension, and vibration) transmit to 
the soul so many different kinds of ideas and sensations ? Can there 
be such a correspondence betw^een the soul and body, that nerves 
of a certain determinate size, structure, and tension, should always 
produce certain sensations ? Has each organ of sense, nerves so ar- 
ranged and adjusted, so analogous to the corpuscles, or small particles 
of matter, wKich emanate from bodies, that the impressions which 
thev receive from them should be always followed with certain de- 
terminate sensations ? It seems, at least, that the , pyramidal form of 
the nervous papillae, w^hich are the immediate instruments of taste 
and feeling, gives some probability to this conjecture. But our 
knowledge is too limited to decide on this point, and we are obliged 
humbly to acknowledge that this is one of the mysteries of nature 
which perhaps cannot be fathomed in this life. 

Let us give God thanks, that with all other senses which his good- 
ness has bestowed upon us, he has also given us the sense oi feeling. 
Of how many pleasures should we be deprived if our bodies had less 
sensibility ! We could not then discern fully what would be advanta- 
geous to us, nor shun what would prove injurious. How well would 
it be if our souls had as lively a sense of what is excellent and ho- 
nest, and as decided a taste for holiness, as our bodies have for plea- 
sure ! This moral sense was in the beginning impressed on our souls : 



528 NOVEMBER VII. 



Sense of feeling -in Etnimals. 



but alas ! it is almost obliterated : and how deplorable must our state 
be if it be totally and finally lost ! Great God ! preserve us from so 
great an evil ! 



NOVEMBER VIII. 



A KECOLLECTION OF THE BENEFITS WHICH WE HAVE ENJOYED IN SPRING 



AND SUMMER. 



# 



Come, my friends, let us feel and acknowledge the goodness of the 
Creator. Let us think, with gratitude, on the time we have spent in 
the bosom of joy ; while exempt from inquietude and trouble, renewed 
nature filled us with delight ; when devotion followed us to the green 
bowers, and when even the shadow of sorrow disappeared from our 
habitations ; when, hand in hand, we traversed the flowery paths, every 
where seeking and finding the Creator. When from the thick bush, 
whose foliage had invited the aerial songsters, their melodious notes 
reached our ears, while peace, friendship, and innocent joy abundantly 
heightened the pleasure. Smiling nature dealt out our flowers with 
a liberal hand ; we breathed the balsamic odour of roses. The pink 
and the walljlower perfumed the air around us, and toward the even- 
ing of a fine day, the sporting zephyrs wafted us the sweetest exhala- 
tions on their airy wings. Then our souls felt a sweet transport ; the 
opening of our lips was thanksgiving to the Lord, and under the rose- 
bushes we mingled our voices with the melodious concerts of birds. 

Often when the gentle breeze had fanned the burning air of sum- 
mer, and the birds felt themselves animated with new vigour ; when 
the azure clouds of the sky became dissipated, and the ruler of the 
day promised us his favours, pleasure lent us wings, and we cheer- 
fully left the noisy abodes of the ciiy to seek the green shades 
vaulted by nature. There we were undisturbed; wisdom, piety, 
and innocent joy, accompanied us to the rural retreat, where we went 
to admire nature. The bushes, shaken with the evening breeze, 
afforded us a delightful shade, and diflfused a refreshing coolness 
around ; and nature drew from unfailing springs the contentment which 
she pours into hearts that are pure. There, entirely given up to our 
Creator, to nature, and to reflections on our own happiness, our eyes 
were bathed in tears of joy. 

The songs of gladness which resounded from every part of the fo- 
rest, tuned our hearts to pleasure and gratitude. The joyous bleat- 
ings of the full-fed flocks, heard at a distance, the melodious notes of 
the shepherd's pipe, the dull buzzing of the beetle which fluttered 
among the flowers ; and even the hoarse and monotonous croaking of 
the frogs, warming themselves on the banks of the rivulet, all im- 

* This paper is all in verse in the German. 



NOVEMBER VIII. 529 



Benefits enjoyed in spring and summer. 



pressed our minds, with joy, and gradually elevated our souls to the 
Creator.^ There his supreme wisdom was manifested in the water, in 
the air, in the quadruped, the insect, and the perfume of flowers. 
A beautiful country, an emblem of that inhabited by our first parents, 
presented itself to our eyes. At a distance we perceived old and 
sturdy forests, and hills gilded by the rays of the sun. The pleasing 
mixture of the most diversified colours, the rural flowers, the golden 
crops, the rich green carpet wrought by the hand of nature, the 
treasures of the meadows, and the sweet aliment of the herds and 
flocks, which yield us their wholesome milk : the food of man as yet 
hidden in the tender ear, all these were objects sufficient to excite a 
feeling heart to glorify the Creator, and celebrate his bounty. 

There nature spreads before us the majesty of her Author. The 
magnificent universe, we may justly say, is too beautiful to be the 
abode of inconsiderate, ungrateful man. For him the wings of the 
wind waste their refreshing breezes : for him the silver stream mur- 
murs along, when at mid-day he rests from his labours : for him the 
corn ripens, and the trees bear their fruit; all creation ministers 
unto him^ yet he is regardless of it ! 

But they who love their Maker will discover in the breeze and 
in the brook, in the field and in the flower, in the spire of grass and 
in the ear of corn, the traces of his eternal wisdom : and to such, 
universal nature is the herald of his power. That God who created 
the angels, has also given being to the grain of dust. It is by him 
that the mite lives, and the elephant^ the burden of the earth. At the 
sight of a blade of grass, as well as the view of the aloe spike, a 
thinking mind will raise itself to the Creator ; for the svrat, as well 
as the tvhale, proclaims the grandeur of the Most High. Examine his 
works and answer me ; Is he not as great in the breeze as in the tem- 
pest ? In the drop as in the ocean 1 In the sparlc as in the starry 
firmament ? In the worm as in the hyppopotamus ? The vast crea- 
tion is the sanctuary of God ; the world is a temple consecrated to 
his glory ; and man was appointed to be his priest in nature, and 
not the destroyer and tyrant of created beings. 



NOVEMBER IX. 

FOREIGN ANIMALS. 

Every part of the world has animals peculiar to itself. And it is 
for very wise reasons that the Creator has placed some in one 
country rather than another. The most remarkable animals of the 
southern countries are, the elephant, and the camel. In size they 
surpass all other quadrupeds. The elephant, especially, is like an 
animated mountain, and his bones are like pillars. His head is 
attached to a very short neck, and is armed with two kinds of wea- 
pons, with which when necessary, he can even tear trees up by the 

67 



530 NOVEMBER IX. 



Foreign animals. 



roots. Had his neck been longer it could not have supported the 
weight of his head, nor have kept it up. But to make amends for 
the shortness of the neck, he has a very long trunk. This he uses 
as a hand to carry his food to his mouth, without being under the 
necessity of stooping. He can not only move, bend, and turn this in 
all directions, as we do our fingers, but use it also as an organ of sen- 
sation ; and it may be properly said of this animal, that he has his 
nose in his hand. His eyes are small in proportion to the size of his 
body ; but they are bright and full of fire ; and in them may be seen 
all his inv/ard sensations and emotions. In his natural state the ele- 
phant, though wild, is neither sanguinary nor ferocious ; he is of a 
gentle disposition, and uses his weapons only in his own defence. It 
he be not provoked, he does harm to no person : but he is terrible 
when irritated : he seizes his adversary with his trunk, jerks him 
like a stone, and then treads him to death. The elephant eats a 
hundred pounds of grass in a day ; but his body being of an enor- 
mous weight, he bruises and destroys ten times more with his feet 
than he uses for his food. His principal enemy, and often his con- 
queror, is the rhinoceros, an animal resembling the wild boar, who 
uses the horn on his nose to tear up the belly of the elephant. It 
requires but little attention to discover the wisdom of God in the for- 
matioQ of the elephant : he causes it to be produced in a country 
abounding with grass ; and he has taken care that it shall not become 
a burden to the earth by multiplying too fast, for the female goes two 
years with young, and does not couple with the male till three years 
after. 

The camel is one of the most useful animals of the east. It is 
admirably adapted to bear the greatest fatigues among dry deserts and 
burning sands, as it is able to go four or five days without drinking, 
and requires but little food in proportion to its size. It crops the 
few plants and shrubs which grow in the desert ; and when it can find 
none, about two quarts of beans and barley will suffice it for a whole 
day. Beside the hunch on its back, there is still another singularity 
in its make. It has two gullets : one terminates in the stomach, and 
the other in a kind of bag, which serves it as a reservoir to keep 
water in. Water continues in it without putrefaction ; and when the 
animal is thirsty, or has occasion to moisten its dry food, or assist it in 
rumination, it throws up a portion of the water even to the oesopha- 
gus, which having moistened the throat, descends afterward into the 
stomach. The ordinary load for a camel is from seven to eight hun- 
dred pounds weight : with which it can travel several miles in- an 
hour, and continue for twelve or fifteen hours each day. The 
fleshy hoofs of the camel are made for walking in the sands ; whereas 
the horny hoof of the horse would be hurt or burnt by them. 

The most remarkable animals in the northern countries are the elk, 
the sable, and the reindeer. The first of these animals is large, 
strong, and well-shaped. His head pretty nearly resembles, in colour, 
shape, and size, that of the mule. His limbs are long and strong : 



NOVEMBER IX. 531 



Foreign animals. 



his hair of a light grey. This animal is simple, stupid, and timid. 
He finds proper food every where, but prefers the bark and young 
shoots of the luillow, birch, and service tree. He is exceeding swift ; 
and his legs being very long, he can pass over a great deal of ground 
in a short time. 

The sable wanders in the forests of Siberia, and is ver^*- much 
prized on account of its beautiful fur. The hunting of this animal 
is generally the doleful occupation of the poor wretches who are 
banished to the deserts. 

The reindeer is an animal of a pleasing and elegant shape, nearly 
resembling the stag. It seeks its crwn food, which commonly consists 
of moss, grass, leaves, and buds of trees. The inhabitants of the 
north derive the greatest advantages from it. They eat its flesh, 
drink its milk, and yoking it to a kind of sledge, are drawn by it with 
incredible swiftness over the ice and snow. All the wealth of the 
Laplanders consists in their reindeers. The skin furnishes them 
with clothes, beds, coverings, and tents ; in a word, they derive from 
this animal all the necessaries of life. 

"What has been said of these foreign animals may give rise to im- 
portant reflections. How prodigious is the distance between the 
eleyhant and mite ! And what a wonderful variety in the outward 
form of animals, in their shape, their organs, senses, motions, and 
manner of propagating their species : nevertheless, every thing is 
perfectly adapted and proportioned to the manner of life appointed 
them. But as there are animals in different parts of the world, 
which could not accommodate themselves to the air, climate, food, 
and temperature of European countries; so there may be millions 
of animals which could not exist on our globe, and which could no 
more live among us than we could in Satur^i or Mercury. 

O God ! Thy empire is unbounded. Thou wouldst realize all 
kinds of life, and all possible happiness : and this plan, so worthy thy 
goodness, thou hast executed with infinite power and wdsdom. May 
thy name be praised for ever and ever ! 



NOVEMBER X. 

VARIETY OF WINDS. 

There is a great variety of winds. In some places they are con- 
stant during the whole year, and always blow in the same direction : 
in other places they change at particular times, but always according 
to regular and fixed laws. In the open sea, between the tropics, 
and some degrees beyond them, there is an easterly wind, which con- 
tinues the whole year without any considerable variation. To the 
norih of the line, the wind blows toward the north-east, and to the 
gouth of the line, it blows toward the south-east., more or less, ac- 
coi-ding to the position of the sun. But this should be understood of 



532 NOVEMBER X. 



Variety of winds. 



the wind that prevails in the open sea : for islands, and great conti- 
nents which are in its way, may alter its direction, and cause it to 
become north-east in certain places. In the southern parts of the 
ocean, the wind is generally westerly. The nearer the coast, the 
more it varies ; and it is still more so on land. The constant east 
wind is chiefly owing to the heat which the sun communicates to our 
atmosphere. In the Indian sea, there are winds called monsoons^ or 
trade-winds^ which blow in the same direction for three or six months 
together ; and then change, and blow in the opposite direction for the 
same length of time. The cause of these winds has not yet been 
accounted for in a satisfactory manner : but certainly we must look 
for it in the variations of heat and cold, in the position of the sun, 
the nature of the soil, the inflammation of meteors, the condensation 
of the vapours into rain, and other similar circumstances. There 
are both seas and countries which have winds and calms peculiar to 
them. In Egypt, and in the Persian Gulf, there prevails often during 
the summer a scorching wind, which prevents respiration, and con- 
sumes every thing. At the Cape of GoodHop^, a cloud is often seen, 
which is called the fatal cloud, or ox eye ; it is at first very small, but 
visibly increases, till, in a short time, a furious tempest proceeds from 
it, which oversets ships, and plunges them into the depth of the sea. 

Variable and constant winds, which have no determined duration 
or direction, prevail over the greater part of the globe. It is true 
that certain winds may blow more frequently in one place than in 
another : but this is not at fixed times : and they begin and end with- 
out any kind of rule. They vary in proportion to the different 
causes which derange the equilibrium of the air. Heat and cold, 
rain and fair weather, straits, capes, and promontories, may contri- 
bute much to interrupt their course, and alter their direction. There 
are, doubtless, many other causes of the different modification and 
alteration of the air, which are as yet unknown. 

One thing particularly remarkable, and which always happens in 
almost every place, is, that a little before sun-rise, v*rhen the air is 
perfectly calm and serene, just at the dawn, there is a quick easterly 
breeze, which begins at the approach of the sun, and continues for 
some time after he is risen. This undoubtedly proceeds from the 
air being warmed by the rising sun ; and being rarefied, it drives the 
contiguous air easterly; this necessarily produces an east wind, 
which ceases afterward in proportion as the air around us becomes 
warm. For the same reason the east wind must not only precede 
the sun in the torrid zone, but also be much stronger than in our 
regions, because the action of the sun is more moderate with us than 
in the vicinity of the lirie. In the torrid zone, the wind blows 
almost constantly from east to west ; there a west wind very rarely 
happens. 

We see then that the winds are not the effects of chance ; to 
which neither cause nor design can be attributed. In these, as in 
all other things, the Creator manifests his wisdom and goodness. He 



NOVEMBER X. 533 



Variety of winds. 



has SO arranged every thing, that the wind blows from time to time, 
and an absolute calm very rarely occurs. He regulates the motion, 
strength, and duration of the winds, and he prescribes the race which 
they are to run. Even their variety is very advantageous : when a 
long drought has caused both plants and animals to droop, a wind 
from the sea coast laden with many vapours^ waters the fields, and 
revives nature. When this design is accomplished, a dry wind pro- 
ceeds from the east, restores serenity to the air, and brings back fair 
weather. The north wind brings with it a great number of icy par- 
ticles, and drives away the noxious vapours of the autumnal air. 
Lastly to the keen north w^nd the south wind succeeds, which, 
coming from southern climates, impregnates the air with a reviving 
warmth. By these continual variations, fertility and salubrity are 
maintained on the earth. 

Who can make these reflections without adoring God? All the 
elements are in his hand, and his powerful word irritates or appeases 
them. When he commands, storms and tempests roar; they rush 
from sea to sea, and from land to land ; and at his bidding, serenity 
is again restored. Should we not then be satisfied with our lot, see- 
ing all our concerns are in his hand ? Cannot He who directs the 
winds, regulate also my lot ? Seeing that all the variations of the 
winds concur at his command, to promote the general welfare of his 
creatures, cannot he cause every occurrence in life to contribute to my 
present and eternal welfare ? 



NOVEMBER XI. 

THE CHASE. 

Hunting is one of the principal amusements of a certain class of 
men at this season ; but it were to be wished that less importance 
were attached to it. For the dominion which man has over animals, 
and the pleasure he takes in subduing them, is frequently mingled 
with cruelty. Sometimes, indeed, the death of certain animals is 
necessary, in order to make that use of them for w^hich they were 
designed ; or to prevent them from multiplying so as to become in- 
jurious : but, even then we should kill them in the gentlest manner 
possible : but unfortunately, this law of nature is very little attended 
to by the majority of sportsmen. Men, in this respect, show them- 
selves more sanguinary than the most ferocious beasts. Is not the 
mode of hare and stag-hunting shocking to every feeling heart ? Can 
it be an innocent pleasure to pursue, with implacable fury, an innocent 
animal which flies before us in mortal anguish, till at length, worn out 
with terror and fatigue, it falls groaning, and expires in the most hor- 
rible convulsions? Can human nature be unafl^ected at such a sight ? 
Can man behold this without some compassionate emotion ? To pur- 
chase pleasure by the death of an innocent creature, is to purchase 



534 NOVEMBER XL 



it too dearly. It is a dangerous pleasure which habituates men to 
ferocity and barbarity ; for it is impossible that the heart of a man 
passionately fond of hunting, should not sensibly lose the soft feelings 
of humanity. Such a person soon becomes cruel and sanguinary : he 
finds no pleasure but in scenes of horror and destruction : and being 
accustomed to be insensible toward animals, he soon becomes so to- 
ward his fellow-creatures. Hunting does not appear to me to be an 
occupation which we can reconcile to the great duties we are called 
to fulfil. Without speaking of the loss of time, a loss in itself of great 
consequence, it is certain that hunting distracts the mind, and fills the 
imagination with ideas which are by no means compatible with serious 
occupations. Gentler amusements are more proper to divert and un- 
bend the mind, than these turbulent pleasures, which almost deprive 
the soul of the use of reflection. 

Hunting must ever appear a suspicious and dangerous employment 
to every moral and religious man. For, ought we not to be afraid of 
a pleasure which gives place to so many irregularities and sins ? How 
much must the health suffer in such a violent exercise, and in such 
sudden transitions from heat to cold? What excesses, what cruelties, 
what oaths, do such persons indulge themselves in ! How are the 
horses, the dogs, and even the men treated ! What mischief is there 
done to corn-fields and pasture ground ! Can all these evils be consi- 
dered only as trifles which deserve no attention, and may be practised 
without scruple ? 

! Were we wise, we should seek more pure and innocent pleasures ; 
and surely such may be easily found. We have only to look around 
us, and we shall every where discover pleasing objects well calculated 
to afford us the greatest satisfaction. Heaven and earth, the arts and 
sciences, labour, our senses, the conversation of our friends ; in a word, 
every surrounding object, invites us to the enjoyment of pure pleasure. 
Why then should we run after gross and violent pleasures, which 
pever fail to leave disgust and remorse behind them ? We have, within 
ourselves an abundant source of enjoyment : a multitude of intellec- 
tual and moral faculties, the cultivation of which may every moment 
give us some new satisfaction. But it is in this alone, that the great 
science of a Christian and philosopher consists. Such have the art 
of being happy without much outward appendages or great expense. 
And they can always be so without risking their virtue. 



NOVEMBER XII. 

DREAMS. 



The inactivity of our soul during sleep, is not so complete as to 
leave the faculties unemployed. We have ideas and representations, 
and our imagination is continually at work. This is the case when 
we dream. However, the soul has but little share in them, except so 



NOVEMBER XII. 535 



Dreama. 



far as relates to the memory : and perhaps this faculty belongs rather 
to the animal than to the rational soul. If we reflect upon our 
dreams, and examine why they are so irregular and unconnected ; 
why the events which they represent to us are so fantastic, it will be 
found that this proceeds chiefly from our being more affected by 
sensations than by perceptions. Our dreams represent to us persons 
whom we have never seen, or who are long since dead : we see 
them as ajive, and associate with them things which actually exist. 
If the soul acted in dreams as it does when we are awake, a moment 
y/ould be sufficient to set these unconnected and confused ideas in or- 
der. But commonly its attention is confined to the receiving and fol- 
lowing the images which present themselves to it. And although 
these objects appear in the strongest light, yet they are always fan- 
tastically associated, and have no regular connexion ; for sensations 
succeed each other without the soul's combining or putting them in 
order.o We have then sensations only, and not notions ; for notions 
can only take place when the soul compares sensations and operations 
on .the ideas which it receives through the medium of the senses. 
Thus dreams are formed in the inferior faculties of the soul ; they 
are not produced by its own energy, and can only appertain to the 
animal memory. 

It is very singular, that in dreams we never imagine we hear, but 
only see. It is still more remarkable that the images which we see 
are perfectly like their originals. It seems as if the soul of a painter 
only could draw such true and regular pictures : nevertheless, these 
designs, however exact they may be, aro executed in dreams by per^ 
sons who have no idea of the art. Beautiful landscapes, which we 
have never attentively observed, present themselves to us in dreams 
as true and exact as if done by the most eminent artists. 

As to the accidental cause of dreams, by which former sensations 
are renewed without the assistance of any present and real impres- 
sion, it ought to be observed, that in a state of profound sleep we 
never dream ; because all our sensations are extinct, all our organs 
are inaccessible, every thing sleeps, the internal as well as the exter- 
nal senses. But the inward sense which falls first asleep, is the first 
that wakes, because it is the most lively and active, and may be more 
easily excited than the outward senses. Sleep is then less perfect, 
and less sound, and this is properly the time for dreams. Former 
sensations, especially those on which we have not reflected, revive. 
The internal sense, which, through the inactivity of the external 
senses, cannot employ itself on present impressions, is taken up with, 
and operates on, preceding sensations. It acts in preference on those 
by which it was most forcibly affected ; and hence it is that the 
greater part of our dreams are either excessively frightful or ex- 
tremely pleasant. 

There is another circumstance in dreams worthy our observation ; 
they are tlie image of the character of the man. From the phan- 
toms which occupy his imagination during the night, we may conclude 



536 NOVEMBER XII. 



Dreams. 



that he is virtuous or vicious. A cruel man continues to be so even 
in sleep; and a benevolent man is even then occupied with his mild 
and benign dispositions. It is, however, true, that an impure or 
vicious dream may be occasioned by the state of the body, or by ex- 
ternal and accidental circumstances ; but our conduct, as soon as we 
awake, will prove whether these dreams may be imputed to us or 
not : we need only attend to the judgment we then form of them. A 
good man does not consider his dreams with indifference : for if 
during his sleep his mind deviates from the rules of justice and 
purity, he is affected for it when he awakes. It is certain that a soul 
which goes to rest with a lively sense of the favour of God, scarcely 
ever fails in its dreams to have ideas and representations of heavenly 
things. A good conscience often comforts a holy man in his sleep, 
through the blessed knowledge he has of the Divine favour. 

But sleep is not the only time when fantastic and unconnected 
objects confuse and disorder our imagination ; how many people are 
there who dream while awake ! Some have an extravagant idea of 
themselves, because fortune or favour has raised them to places of 
rank. Others make their happiness to consist in empty fame, and 
feed on the chimerical hope of immortality. Intoxicated with pas- 
sion and vain hope, they dream that they are happy ; but this frivo- 
lous and deceitful felicity vanishes like a morning dream. Persons of 
this character have been well described by the prophet : They resemhle^ 
says he, the himgry man who dreams that he eats, but he aivakes, and his 
soul is empty : they are like the thirsty man, ivho dreams that he dri7iks, 
but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite. Isa. 
xxix. 8. Let us never seek our happiness in vain phantoms, or de- 
ceitful dreams ! Let us entreat the Lord to grant us that wisdom 
which will direct us to aspire after solid and permanent good ; after 
a glory that fadeth not away, which will occasion no tears of remorse, 
when, at the hour of death, we come to reflect on our past life. 



NOVEMBER XIII. 

THE UNIVERSE IS CONNECTED TOGETHER, AND EVERY PART CONCURS TO 
THE PRESERVATION AND PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE. 

Every thing which the beneficent Creator has produced on our 
globe is admirably connected v/ith another, and contributes to the 
mutual preservation of the whole. The earth itself, with all its 
rocks, minerals, and fossils, owes its origin and continuance to the 
elements. Trees, plants, grass, and mosses : in a word, all vegeta- 
bles, derive their nourishment from the earth ; whilst the animals in 
their turn feed on the productions of the vegetable kingdom. After- 
ward all these return to their first principles. The earth nourishes 
the plant, the pla.nt the insect, the insect the bird, the bird the wild 



NOVEMBER XIII. 537 



Connexion and preservation of the universe. 



beast ; and in its turn the wild beast becomes the prey of the vulture ; 
the vulture of the insect ; the insect nourishes the plant ; and the 
'plant becomes earth. Even man, who makes use of these things, 
often becomes their prey in his turn. Such is the circle in which 
all here below revolve. . 

Thus all beings have been created for each other, and nothing for 
itself alone. Tigers^ lynxes, bears, ermines, fo^es, and other animals, 
provide us with furs for our covering. Hounds traverse the forests, 
and pursue the hare and the stag to furnish our tables, and the part 
which they receive of the prey is very little. The ferret drives the 
rabbit from the deepest recesses into our hands. The horse, the 
elephant, and the camel, are trained to carry burdens, and the ox to 
draw the plough. The cow gives us her milk, the sheep its wool ; 
the reindeer makes the sledge fly over the snow and ice : the swine^ 
the hedgehog, and the mole, dig up the earth, that the seeds of plants, 
being dispersed abroad, may take root the more easily. Even the 
hawk preys for our table, and the hen gives us her eggs. The cock 
awakes us to our work, and the lark amuses us with her songs 
throughout the day. The warbling of the black-bird is heard from 
morning till evening; and the melodious accent of the nightingale 
charms us during the night. The superb plumage of the peacock 
delights our eyes. Fish come from the depths of the ocean, throng 
our coasts, and swim in our rivers, to furnish men, birds, and beasts, 
with abundance of nourishment. The silkworm spins that we may 
clothe ourselves with its precious web : bees, with indefatigable di- 
ligence, collect the honey which we find so delicious. The sea casts 
multitudes of crahs, oysters, and all sorts of shell-fish, on our coasts, for 
the supply of men and other animals. The lanthorn-bearer, or great 
fly of Surinam, shines through the darkness to enlighten the inhabi- 
tants of those countries. 

If we examine the different occupations and labours of men, we 
shall find that they also tend to the same end which nature has propo- 
sed. The mariner tempts the dangers of the sea, and braves the 
storm to bring merchandises w^hich do not belong to him to the place 
of their destination. The soldier sacrifices his blood for his country 
and the welfare of his fellow-citizens. The lawyer is only employed 
in other people's suits. Sovereigns ^.ndi magistrates, who are at the 
head of government, consecrate their time and talents to the good of 
the commonwealth. Parents lay up treasures for their children. 
The husbandman sows and reaps, yet consumes but little of the pro- 
duce of his own labour. Thus we live not for ourselves alone ; for 
the Divine Author of nature has so ordered it, that all beings should 
become useful to each other. Let us learn from this what our mu- 
tual duties are. The strong should succour the weak. The man of 
understanding should help others with his advice. The learned 
should instruct the ignorant. In a word, we should love our neigh- 
bour as ourselves, and thus fulfil the designs of the Creator. These 
reciprocal offices, which men owe to each other, have induced them 

68 



§3S NOVEMBER XIII. 



Connexion and preservation of the universe. 



to form societies. That which divided force could not. effect, is 
easily accomplished by united energy. No person could build a 
beautiful edifice, nor construct a palace, were he obliged alone to 
lay the foundation, dig the cellars, mould and burn the brick, raise 
the walls, put on the roof, make the windows, decorate the apart- 
ments, &;c. But all these are easily performed by a number of 
workmen, who mutually assist each other. Sucli is the invariable 
law of nature, that in all arts and sciences nothing of importance can 
be brought to perfection without the concurrence of several persons. 
How many thousands of men are requisite to make one monarch 
powerful, an empire happy, or a nation famous and flourishing ! 

How evident is the wisdom of the Creator in all this ! That the 
inhabitants of our globe, and particularly men, might be happy, he 
has established such connexions and relations among all beings, that 
the one cannot subsist without the otlier. Experience must teach us 
that God has the welfare of his creatures continually in view. The 
whole world was planned for this purpose ; and all its parts concur 
to the happiness of mankind. Even the things which appear to be 
of the least importance, and which we scarcely condescend to look 
at, contribute their part also to render us happy. The very insects 
which are so despicable in our eyes, are of great use to us. Thou- 
sands of hands are daily employed in our behalf. How many ani- 
mals lose their lives in order to support ours ! And in how many 
other ways, of which we are ignorant, is nature active in our favour ! 
Kind and indulgent Father, teach us how to appreciate thy goodness 
and our own happiness ! And may we henceforth be inspired with 
the resolution to employ all our strength in thy service, who hast con- 
idescended to do so much for us ! 



NOVEMBER XIV, 

COMMON SALT. 

The seasoning most extensively used, and what the rich and the 
poor, the king and the beggar, cannot do without, is common salt. Its 
savour is so pleasing, and it has such excellent properties for diges- 
tion, that we may consider it one of the most precious presents which 
nature has bestowed on man. It is given to us in different ways. 
The inhabitants of the coasts get it from the sea. They dig pits on 
the shore which they call salt-pits, and plaster them with clay : the 
sea flows into them when it is rough ; the water detained by the pits 
evaporates by the heat of the sun, and a great quantity of sah re- 
mains at the bottom. In other places nature produces salt springs, 
fountains, pits, and lakes. To extract the salt, the water is evapora- 
ted in large pans or caldrons set over the fire. In some other places, 
salt is found in solid masses in the mountains. The most famous salt 
innines are those of Catalonia and Poland. These different kinds of 



NOVEMBER XIV. 539 



Common salt 



salt are all alike in their chief properties. Experience teaches us, 
that salt dissolved in the stomach and intestines has a digestive pow- 
er, prevents putrefaction, and the too great fermentation of the ali- 
ments. Hence it is, that it is used internally to restore and promote 
digestion, to remove crudities from the stomach, to increase the 
appetite, and to prevent costiveness. It not only dissolves phlegm 
and the viscosities which hurt digestion and destroy appetite, but it 
is also a very excellent stimulant for the stomach; the nerves of 
which it gently irritates, and assists all its operations. Common salt 
is, therefore, an excellent digestive, and perhaps the best in the 
whole economy of nature. Other salts act too powerfully, or are too 
unpleasant to the taste to be mixed with our food. But common, salt 
acts gently, assists the connexion of all eatables, and prevents that 
putrefaction to which they are naturally disposed. 

Salt is then an especial blessing which we do not sufficiently es- 
teem, because it is common. Let us pay more attention to it, that 
we maybe excited to that gratitude which so precious a gift requires. 
Were we to attend more to the daily blessings which we receive 
fi'om the Lord, what causes should we find to acknowledge and cele- 
brate his goodness ! Let us sanctify the use of aliments with such 
reflections. The greater part of our food would be flat and insipid, 
were we deprived of salt, which greatly increases its flavour and the 
pleasure we receive from it. But this is the smallest part of its 
advantages, seeing it is of the utmost consequence to our health, as 
w^e have already noticed. What a blessing it will be, should this 
meditation lead us to prize this gift of God better than we have yet 
done ! Our hearts will become more and more established in grati- 
tude and obedience, when we accustom ourselves to reflect on the 
blessings which we receive from the hands of our great Benefactor. 

In another point of view, salt must be interesting to every observer 
of the works of nature. The smallest particles of our common 
salt seem as if they were all exactly cut into eight angles, and six 
sides, like a die : hence it must happen, that most masses of this sort 
of salt will be of a square or cubic form. Here again the hand of the 
Most Hio-h is visible, which has given salt an invariable form, and has 
cut all its masses after the same model since the beginning of the 
w^orld. This figure, always regular, and ever the same, is a proof that 
it owes not its origin to chance or fortuitous motion, but to the will of 
an Intelligent Being. This thought is too important, too necessary 
for our peace, to be disregarded : we should seize every opportunity 
of recollecting it, and endeavour to have it more and more deeply im- 
pressed on our minds. 



540 NOVEMBER XV. 



Origin of fountains. 



NOVEMBER XV. 



THE ORIGIN OF FOUNTAINS. 



All great rivers owe their rise to a number of rivulets : rivulets 
are formed by brooks and streams ; and these owe their origin to 
springs and fountains. This is incontestable. But whence come the 
springs ? As water, by its gravity, always occupies the lowest parts 
of the surface of the earth, whence then can the water come which 
constantly flows from the most elevated regions ? 

In the first place, it is certain that rain, snow, and in general all 
the vapours which fall from the air, furnish a great part of the water 
which flows from springs. It is on this account that fountains and rivers 
are not found in Arabia Deserta, and other parts of Africa, where it 
scarcely ever rains. These waters soak into the earth, and penetrate 
it till they meet with beds of clay, through which they cannot pass. 
Here they accumulate and form fountains ; or else they collect in 
cavities or grottoes, which afterward overflow, or the water leaks out 
from thousands of crevices, great and small, and endeavours to de- 
scend to the lowest places, whither its gravity naturally carries it. 
Thus the water runs incessantly, and forms subterraneous currents, 
which uniting with similar ones, form what is termed a vein of water. 
It is nevertheless very likely, that in certain countries, at least, foun- 
tains do not owe their origin to the rains only which fall from the 
atmosphere ; for we sometimes find considerable springs and lakes 
on high mountains, which could not, as far as we can judge, be formed 
by rain or snow alone. There are many springs which, in all sea- 
sons, give the same quantity of water ; and sometimes furnish even 
more in times of great heat and drought, than in moist and rainy sea- 
sons. We must, therefore, conclude, that there are other causes both 
for the origin and maintenance of fountains. 

Many springs seem to come from vapours, which being suspended 
in the atmosphere, are driven by currents of air toward mountains 
and elevated places; or, by the power of universal attraction, are 
drawn toward these great masses. The atmosphere is, more or less, 
laden with aqueous vapours, which being driven and pressed against 
the hard cold rocks, condense into drops, and thus swell the springs. 
Yet still we must grant, that all springs cannot owe their rise to the 
above causes : for would not the Danube and Rhine, and other rivers 
which come from high mountains, be dried up in winter, when these 
enormous masses are converted into snow and ice ? Therefore, 
caverns which communicate with the sea and with lakes, must contri- 
bute something to the origin of fountains. 

The sea-water having gone by subterraneous canals into these 
great cavities, rises in vapours, through a multitude of chinks, and 
forms drops, which falling down by their own gravity, often find 
another path ; because water cannot always penetrate where va- 
pours do. Perhaps also the sea-water, especially in countries conti- 



NOVEMBER XV. 541 



Origin of fountains. 



guous to the ocean, is filtered through beds of earth, by which cer- 
tain springs are produced. These springs have generally a taste 
similar to the water to which they owe their origin. But the springs 
which are found on the tops of mountains, cannot owe their rise 
to this cause ; for the sea-water cannot rise so high : and, supposing 
it could, the springs would be neither sweet nor potable. 

All the causes which we have already mentioned, contribute more 
or less to the formation of fountains : but there may be other causes 
which are still unknown. It is true, that nature is ever simpje in 
her operations ; but that simplicity does not consist in employing only 
one cause for each particular effect : it consists in using the fewest 
causes possible ; which do not prevent the presence of a number of 
auxiliary causes, which may concur to produce the effect which 
nature has proposed. 

But though this may be otherwise, and though the origin of foun- 
tains were yet more dubious and obscure than it really is, we must 
still acknowledge God as the Creator and Preserver of those salutary 
springs. " God speaks, and the fountains spring from the bosom of 
the mountains : springs become rivulets, and rivulets swell in great 
rivers, which carry with them abundance and fertility wherever they 
go. The inhabitants of the country quench their thirst at them, and 
seek the cool refreshing shade of the woods through which they run. 
They murmur through the forests, and the wild beasts drink of their 
waters, and rejoice in them." It is God, therefore, who causes these 
beneficent fountains to spring from the high places of the earth : 
sometimes they glide and wind among the mountains, at other times 
they precipitate themselves in cataracts from lofty eminences, being 
increased by atmospheric vapours, or the union of different streams. 
By this wise arrangement, God maintains, in the kingdom of nature, 
that continual circulation of brooks, rivulets, and rivers, which con- 
tributes to the fertility of the earth, the salubrity of our dwellings, 
and the draining of waters, whose too great abundance might become 
injurious. 



NOVEMBER XVI. 

HUMAN HAIR. 

Let us examine the hair which covers our heads, its wonderful 
structure, and its various uses, and we shall find that it is not only 
highly worthy of our attention, but that very sensible traces of the 
power and wisdom of our Creator are easily discernible in it. 

Every complete hair appears, to the naked eye, an oblong slender 
filament, with a knot or bulb at the root, which is generally thicker, 
and always more transparent, than the rest. The filament is the body 
of the hair, and the bulb is its root. The largest hairs have their 
root, and even a part of the body, enclosed in a small vessel or cap- 



642 NOVEMBER XVI. 



Human hair. 



sulej formed by a thin membrane. The size of this sheath is in pro- 
portion to the size of the root : but the sheath is always a little wider, 
that tile root may not be too much compressed. In such a sheath, 
the root of the hair is always found. The root has two parts ; the 
one external, the other internal. The outward part is a pellicle com- 
posed of little laminae, the inward is a glutinous fluid in which some 
fibres are united ; this is the marrow of the root. From the outward 
part of the root, there grows in general five, very rarely six, little 
white threads, exceedingly fine, transparent, hard, and often twice as 
long as the root. Besides these filaments, w^e see other little bulbs 
rising here and there, but they are viscous, and easily dissolved by 
heat. The main body of the hair springs from the interior part of 
the bulb : it is composed of three parts ; the exterior sheath, the 
interior tubes, and the marrow. 

When the hair comes to the pore of the skin through which it is 
to pass, it is strongly enveloped in the pellicle of the root, which then 
forms a very small tube. The hair pushes the cuticle before it, 
which serves as a sheath to protect it in the beginning, while it is still 
soft and tender. The rest of the sheath or covering of the whole 
hair is of a particular substance ; it is transparent, and especially so 
at the point. In young hair this coat is very soft, but it afterward 
becomes so hard and elastic, that it shrinks back with some noise when 
it is cut. This sheath, or coat, preserves the hair a long time. Just 
under the coat there are many little fibres, which extend along the 
hair from the root to the point. They are united among themselves, 
and with the sheath which is their common covering, by several elas- 
tic filaments : and this bundle of fibres forms a tube filled with two 
substances, the one fluid, the other solid, which together constitute the 
marrow of the hair. 

An attentive observer of the works of God, will acknowledge the 
Divine wisdom in the admirable structure of a hair, as well as in the 
other parts of the human body. Thus, from the crown of the head 
to the sole of the foot, there is nothing in man which does not pro- 
claim the perfection of the Creator. Even those parts which seem 
of least importance, and which might be given up without inconve- 
nience, are nevertheless of great importance, if they be considered in 
their connexion with the other members of our bodies, or in their 
wonderful structure and use. This may be asserted particularly in 
regard to the hair. How many are there who consider it an object 
worthy of no attention, and who never think they can discover any 
traces of the wisdom and goodness of God in it ? But besides that, in 
general, there is no part of our body without its particular appointment 
and use, it is very easy to discern the wise purposes for which the 
hair has been given us. 

And first, it. is evident, that it contributes much to the beauty and 
ornament of the face. But this is probably its least use. The hair 
manifestly defends the head, and preserves it from cold and damp; 
and keeps the brain in its natural state of warmth. It certainly pro= 



NOVEMBER XVL 543 



Human hair. 



motes a gentle and insensible evacuation of some humours from the 
body, helps perspiration, and discharges from the head and other 
parts those superfluous humours, which would otherwise accumulate 
there. The hair may answer several other purposes, which are as 
yet unknown to us. But it is sufficient to know some of the purposes 
which God has designed to accomplish by it. A proper consideration 
of these must excite us to acknowledge and adore the power, wisdom, 
and goodness of our great Creator. 



NOVEMBER XVII. 

THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD. 

Hitherto we have been considering the earth, which is but a; 
point in comparison of the system of the universe. Let us now 
raise our thoughts to innumerable worlds, at the sight of which this 
point which we, and millions of other creatures inhabit, will be 
eclipsed, and appear as nothing. Let us examine, meditate, and 
adare. 

The sun, which gives life to all, is nearly in the centre of the sys° 
tern ; and, without changing his place, turns round his own axis, from 
west to east, in about 26 days. Round the sun, in oblong or elliptic 
circles, all the planets move, from Mercury to the Georgium Sidus, or 
planet Herschel. 

Mercury, who is the nearest to the sun of all the planets, per= 
forms his revolution in 87 days, 23 hours, and 25 minutes ; but by 
reason of his nearness to the sun, he is generally buried in his rays, 
and therefore seldom visible. 

Venus describes a greater ellipsis, and finishes her revolution in 
224 days, 16 hours, and 49 minutes. 

The earth performs her revolution in 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 
minutes, what we commonly term a year : and the moon finishes her's 
in the same space of time. 

Mars finishes his course in 686 days, 23 kours, and 3Q minutes. 

Jupiter and his four moons, in about 4332 days, and 8 hours; 
nearly about twelve of our years. 

Saturn, and his seven moons or satellites, employs 10,761 days, 
and 14 hours, in running his immense circuit: a space of time 
answering nearly to thirty of our years. 

Last of all comes the planet Herschel, or Georgium Sidus, with his 
six moons ; which, as far as our discoveries have reached, is the 
most distant in the solar system : he performs his revolution in 30,445 
days, upward of fourscore of our years. 

But is even this immense circuit the boundary of the universe ? 
No, certainly : far beyond the orbit of Herschel is the region of the 
fixed stars, the nearest of w^hich is at least 400,000 times further 
from the earth, than the earth is from the sun; although his mean 



644 NOVEMBER XVII. 



System of the world. 



distance from us is not less than 95 millions of miles, or 23,799 semi- 
diameters of the earth ! And how many globes may there be in the 
vast space which separates Herschel from the fixed stars, which we 
cannot discover ? 

Bat is it possible that the sun which appears to traverse the half 
of the sky in twelve hours, should nevertheless be a fixed point in 
the centre of the universe ? Do we not see it in the morning in the 
east, and in the evening in the west? And can the earth move con- 
tinually about the sun, without our perceiving it ? 

This objection, founded on the illusion of our senses, is really of 
no weight. Do we perceive the motion of the boat, when we are 
gliding down a river ? And when we are in a boat, or in a carriage, 
does not every surrounding object seem to move and pass in a con- 
trary direction to that in which we are going, though they are all 
fixed and immoveable ? However our senses may deceive us in this 
respect, our reason is obliged to acknowledge the truth and wisdom 
of that system, which supposes the revolution of the earth. Nature 
acts always by the shortest, easiest, and most simple ways. By the 
motion of the earth round the sun, we can account for the different 
appearances of the planets, their periodical rotations, their being 
stationary, and their direct and retrograde motions. And is it not 
much more natural and easy that the earth should turn round its own 
axis in twenty-four hours, than that the sun, the planets, and the 
whole starry heavens, should be carried round the earth in that 
space of time ? An incontestable proof that the sun is in the centre 
of the system, and not the earth, is, that the motions and distances of 
the planets have respect to the sun, and not to the earth. And were 
we to suppose the contrary, what would become of the harmony and 
perfect conformity which prevail in all the works of the Creator? 
But according to our hypothesis, every planet has the same kind of 
motion which we attribute to the earth. 

These reflections on the system of the universe, are exceedingly 
proper to fill our minds with the most sublime ideas of oar adorable 
Creator, and to give us a lively sense of our own littleness. With 
what pleasure does our mind pass from one idea to another, till it is 
lost in the contemplation of these sublime objects ! With what emo- 
tions of astonishment and veneration do we perceive the grandeur of 
our God ! It is true, that an exact and perfect knowledge of the sys- 
tem of the world cannot be attained by our limited understanding ; 
but we know enough of it to be convinced, that the whole is arranged 
with infinite wisdom and goodness ; and that no system can be ima- 
gined more beautiful, more worthy of the Infinite Being, or more 
advantageous to the inhabitants of the different globes. 



NOVEMBER XVIII. 545 



Lobsters. 



NOVEMBER XVIII. 

LOBSTERS. 

Though lobsters were of no use to us as food, they would never- 
theless be worthy our attention. The females of these crustaceous 
animals have, a few weeks ago, undergone a great change. They 
have cast off their old coverings, and clothed themselves with new, 
shells. This may be termed their moulting. In thus changing their 
covering they increase in size, and this mode of growth is common' 
to all crustaceous insects : they increase in size as often as they cast 
off their old coverings ; and this operation is very painful. At the 
time they change their shell, they change their stomach and intestines 
also : indeed, they seem to feed upon their former stomach, which 
wastes by degrees, so that the animal appears to nourish itself with 
those parts of its body which served it before for digestion. The 
little white round stones, improperly called crahs'-eyes, begin to be 
formed when the stomach is destroyed, and are afterward enclosed 
in the new one, where they gradually diminish, till at last they wholly 
disappear. There is reason to believe that the animal uses them as 
a remedy for the discrrders of its stomach: or, probably, they are 
the receptacle for the matter which is employed in the formation of 
the new shell. I 

Except at the time of casting their shells, these animals keep at 
the bottom of the water, a little distance from the shore. In winter, 
they prefer deep water; but they come to the shore in summer, if 
the want of food does not oblige them to go deeper into the sea. 
That they may easily seize their prey, nature has given them several 
arms and legs. Some of their claws are often as large as their head 
and body together. What is most remarkable is, that they have the 
faculty of reproducing their claws and horns, when they have been 
bruised or broken. They can even rid themselves of them when 
they are inconvenient. They perform this operation in any posture ; 
but they effect it more easily when turned on their back, and the 
shell is broken with strong iron pincers, and the flesh bruised at the 
third or fourth joint of the claw. Immediately after the wound the 
animal is convulsed ; the pa,in causes it to shake its limbs every way, 
and shortly the wounded limb falls off from the body, and a gelatinous 
humour oozes out and stanches the blood: when this is taken away, 
the animal bleeds to death. This substance envelopes what may be 
termed the bud of the new limb ; which appears at first only as ari 
excrescence, or small cone. By degrees this cone lengthens, and as- 
sumes the form of a limb, which becomes as complete as the old one. 

The manner in which these animals multiply is not less extraor- 
dinary. The male carries the prolific substance in an extremely 
long thread. What principally distinguishes it is a double hook under 
the tail, which is not found in the female. These animals grow 
pregnant about autumn ; if a female be at that time opened, red clots 

69 



6m NOVEMBER XVllI. 



Lobsters 



may be perceived, which are the evidences of impregnation. They 
gradually disappear ; and under the tail, where the female has many 
little fibres, a multitude of little round eggs may be seen, exactly re- 
sembling those in the roe of a herring. The first eggs appear in 
December, and are more than a hundred. They grow large in pro- 
portion to the increasing v^^armth ; and before St. John's day, we find 
little living lobsters among the eggs, about the size of an ant, which 
continue attached to the fibres under the mother's tail, and are there 
fostered till all the eggs are hatched. At length they disengage them- 
selves from these fibres, and then cling to those of trees or plants near 
the shore, and there continue till they are strong enough to commit 
themselves to the deep. 

The lobster is certainly one of the most extraordinary creatures in 
the world. An animal whose skin is stone, which it casts off' every 
year to cover itself with new armour. An animal whose flesh is in 
its tail and feet ; whose hair is within its breast ; whose stomach is 
in its head, and which is changed every year for a new one, the 
very first office of which is to digest the old one ! An animal which 
carries its eggs within its body before they are impregnated, but as 
soon as this takes place, carries them without, under its tail ; and 
which multiplies its kind with a double organ of generation ! An 
animal with two stones in its stomach, which are engendered and 
grow there, and with which it feeds itself till they are consumed I 
An animal which can cast off' its limbs at pleasure, when they are 
troublesome, and replace them with others ! And, lastly, an animal 
whose eyes are placed on long moveable horns I So singular a crea- 
ture wall long remain a mystery to the human mind. It furnishes us, 
however, with new motives to acknowledge and. adore the power and 
wisdom of the Creator. 



NOVEMBER XIX. 

THE CONVENIENT AND ADVANTAGEOUS SITUATION OF ALL THE PARTS OF 
THE HUMAM BODY, 

If we examine our bodies with due attention, w-e cannot but observe, 
that all the parts of which it is composed, are so situated as to be most 
convenient, and best adapted to their various uses. It belonged to the 
Creator to arrange them as he thought proper : and his wisdom has 
assigned to each member its proper place ; and in forming our bodies, 
he has taken care not only to provide for their wants and conveniences, 
but also for their beauty and ornament. 

In the first place, with regard to our wants ; it is manifest, that all 
the parts of our body are situated in the most advantageous manner. 
Our body is a machine, which is to move itself by the powers given 
it, without receiving any impulse from any exterior force. It is 
necessary it should speedily, and with facility, perform the will of 



NOVEMBER XIX. 547 



Wise oirangement of the diflferent parts of the human body- 



the mind. All the bones are joined together: but that we might 
make use of our limbs without difficulty, stretch out or bend the 
arm, stoop or erect ourselves as we please, the bones are divided into 
many articulations, and each is rounded at the end, and inserted in 
the spheric cavity of another, where it moves with ease, because it 
is covered with a smooth, polished cartilage, and moistened with an 
unctuous humour, which smears the cartilages, and prevents the bad 
effects of friction. What is most remarkable in this is, that these 
bones are so firmly set in, that they do not slip out, nor separate 
from each other, although the feet be obliged to carry so great a bur- 
den, and the hands to lift sometimes more than one hundred pounds 
weight ! 

In the arrangement and disposition of the different parts of our 
body, God has provided also for our convenience. The volitions and 
determinations of the soul may be executed without obstacle or diffi- 
culty by the organs of the body. By means of the senses it is 
speedily informed of whatever concerns it ; and the different mem° 
hers of the body directly obey its orders. The eije, which must 
watch over the whole body, is situated in the most elevated part ; it 
can turn itself easily on all sides, and observe whatever passes. The 
ears are also situated in the highest place, at each side of the head ; 
and stand open, day and night, to inform the soul of the least noise, and 
to communicate to it all the impressions of sound. As the food must 
pass through the mouth to the stomach, the organ of smelling h, 
placed immediately above it, to watch, like the eye, that nothmg cor- 
rupted or improper may be received by it. As to the sense of feel- 
ing, it has not its residence in any particular place, but is dispersed 
over all parts of the body, that all may hereby distinguish pleasure 
from pain, and things injurious from things profitable. The arins, 
which are the servants that the soul employs to execute the greater 
part of its desires, are placed near the breast, where the body has 
most strength ; and without being at too great a distance from the 
lower parts, are situated in the most convenient manner for all sorts 
of work and exercise : and for the defence of the head and the other 
members. 

Finally, the Creator, in the formation of our body, has designed 
also to attend to its beattty. This consists in the visible harmony and 
exact proportion of the members ; -and in the pleasing mixture of the 
colours of a fine and delicately formed skin. Thus we see that 
these parts of our bodies, which are double, as the eyes, ears, arms, 
legs, &c., are placed one on each side, at an equal height, the right 
exactly answering the left ; whereas those which are single, as the 
forehead, nose, the mouth, and the chin, are placed in the middle. 
This proportion appears in the great as well as in the small. The 
length of the sole of the foot, is the sixth part of the height of the 
whole body, as the length of the face is the tenth, and the cubit the 
fourth part. In children the head is larger than it should be, in pro- 
portion^o the rest; the reason is, that the head being the principal 



548 NOVEMBER XIX. 



Wise arrangement of the different parts of the human body, 

part of the body, and the seat of the senses, it should come sooner to 
perfection than the other parts : and the more so, as being entirely 
composed of bones, it could not extend so much as the fleshy mem- 
bers, which it must otherwise have done : for we observe, that in 
infancy all the members grow at once ] and that they extend accord- 
ing to the most exact proportions in length, in breadth, and in thick- 
ness ; and thus are in continual harmony with the size of the whole 
body. 

Admire, O man, the perfection and beauty of thy bod]/-, the con- 
nexion and admirable harmony of alJ its parts. Each member is con- 
nected with others, yet they never embarrass nor impede one another 
in the performance of their different functions. They are situated 
in the most convenient places, that they may the more readily accom- 
plish their offices, and lend each other mutual assistance. All the 
organs are so many springs in this admirable machine. They corres- 
pond to each other ; and act in concert to fulfil the different purposes 
for which they were designed. Take heed not to destroy this cu- 
riously contrived machine ; nor to deform it by irregularity and ex- 
cess. Do not dishonour it by base and shameful passions. Act so 
that thy body may be always a monument of the wisdom and goodness 
of God. But especially take heed, that thy soul, which has been de- 
graded by sin, be re-established in its primitive beauty and holiness, 
by the mercy of thy Redeemer. It is by this alone that thou canst 
be compensated for the change thy body must undergo, when it shall 
return to the dust out of which it has been formed. 



NOVEMBER XX 

ORDER AND REGULARITY OF NATURE. 

In contemplating the world, we discover every where traces of a 
Supreme Intelligence, who ordained every thing, who has foreseen 
the effects which should result from the energy he has impressed on 
nature ; and who has counted, weighed, and measured ail, accord- 
ing to his own designs, with infinite and unerring wisdom. 

Thus the universe once formed, may always continue, and con- 
stantly fulfil its destination, without the necessity of changing any thing 
in the primitive laws once established. The contrary is often the 
case with the works of men. The most skilfully constructed ma- 
chines soon cease to answer the intended purpose : they require 
continual repairs, and are soon worn out and unfit for use. The 
principal of these arrangements and irregularities is found in their 
primitive construction : for there is no artist, how eminent soever he 
may be, who can foresee all the changes which his work may undergo, 
or be able to provide against them. 

The corporeal v/orld is also a machine ; but its component parts, 
and their uses, are innumerable. It is divided into many luminous 



NOVEMBER XX. 549 



Order and regularity of nature. 



and opaque globes, which serve for habitations to an infinite muhi- 
tude of living creatures of all kinds. The opaque globes revolve 
round the luminous ones in their prescribed orbits, and limited times : 
and receive from them light and heat, day and night, seasons, and 
different degrees of temperature, nourishment, and growth, accord- 
ing to the nature and necessities of their different inhabitants. The 
position of the planets, and their mutual gravitation, are so diversi- 
fied, that it seems almost impossible to determine beforehand, the 
times in which they will return to the point whence they departed, 
and begin anew their periodical course. And notwithstanding the 
variety of phenomena which these globes present to us, and the as- 
tonishing multiplicity of their motions, it has never happened, in the 
course of a thousand years, that these enormous masses have ever 
struck against, or interrupted each other, in their revolutions. All 
the planets perform their revolutions in the times prescribed to 
them. They have always preserved their order and their respective 
distances, and have never got nearer to the sun. Their respective 
forces are still exactly balanced, and stand in the same relations to 
each other. The fixed stars are the same to-day that they were a 
thousand years ago. The distances, projectile forces, right ascen- 
sions, declinations, parallaxes, and direction of all the heavenly 
bodies, are still the same. The sun also is still at the same height : 
the days and nights, the years and seasons, are just now what they 
were formerly. An incontestable proof, that in the first arrangement 
of the heavenly bodies, in the proportion, laws, and relations of their 
respective forces, and in the rapidity of their course, the wise Au- 
thor of nature has foreseen and determined the future state of the 
world, and all its component parts, to the utmost duration of time. 

The same may be said of our earth, which is annually subject to 
different revolutions and changes of temperature. For although it 
seems, at first sight, as if fine weather, cold, heat, dew, rain, snow, 
hail, lightning, tempests, and all sorts of winds, varied indifferently, 
and were dispensed by chance : that it is by mere accident the water 
overflows the land in any particular place, altering its surface by 
changing solid ground into lakes and marshes ; that in other places 
we see continents where seas were formerly ; that mountains are 
formed while others moulder away ; and that rivers are either dried 
up or turned out of their former beds; nevertheless, it is certain 
that each modification of our earth has its sufiicient cause in the pre- 
ceding modification : this, in that which preceded it, and the whole 
in that which was established at the creation of the world. But, 
nothing is better calculated to make us sensible of our ignorance of 
particular natural events, and their connexion with the future, than 
that variety which we observe in the temperature of the air ; a va- 
riety which has so much influence on the appearance and fertility of 
our globe. In vain we multiply meteorological observations ; for it 
is impossible to deduce from them fixed rules and consequences for 
the future ; for we never yet have seen one year perfectly similar 



550 NOVEMBER XX. 



Order and regularity of nature. 



to another. Yet we are well convinced, that these continual varia- 
tions, and that apparent confusion of elements, do not essentially 
change our globe, alter its figure, destroy its equilibrium, nor render 
it uninhabitable ; but, that they are, on the contrary, the true means 
of preserving annual order, fertility, and abundance. Since, there- 
fore, every present modification is founded on a preceding one, it is 
manifest, that the elements have not been formed and combined by 
blind chance ; but that from the beginning an EternpJ Wisdom has 
produced, combined, and measured the elements ; appreciated their 
powers and determined, their effects, till the conclusion of time. 

Thus, the whole is not composed of disunited or ill-connected ma- 
terials, or of parts which have neither relation to, nor connexion 
with, each other : it is a regular and perfect whole ; the structure 
and arrangement of which is the work of a Supreme Intelligence. 
If we behold in the world a multitude of beings which have the same 
nature and destination that we have, and are united by a multitude of 
relations : if we discover genera and species, more numerous still, of 
other creatures, which are also, more or less, mutually connected ; 
if we allow, that by the mixture and action of elements, all these 
animated beings are supported, and receive all that their nature 
requires : if, afterward, we carry our thoughts further, and consider 
the relations there are between our earth and the heavenly bodies, 
and the constant regularity of their motions, the conformity, concord, 
and admirable harmony, which are found among all these globes that 
are placed within our notice, we shall be more and more filled Avith 
astonishment at the sight of the magnificence, order, and beauty, of 
nature ; and more deeply convinced of the infinite wisdom of the 
Creator. But all that we know, at present, of the order and harmony 
of the corporeal world, is but a small ray of that eternal light which 
we hope for; and in the enjoyment of which, that Divine Wisdom, 
which is now in so many respects impenetrable to us, shall be mani- 
fested to us with infinite splendour. 



NOVEMBER XXI. 

OF WINTER IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES, 

The time is now approaching which excites the discontent of so 
many people. The severe season of winter appears to them to 
contradict the plan of the Ruler of the universe, which in all other 
respects is so wise and beneficent. The rich complain that nature is 
become gloomy and dismal; and the poor, whose poverty and wants 
increase in this season, groan and murmur. Yet let those ungrateful 
people magnify as they please the inconveniences and distresses of 
winter, they shall be obliged to acknowledge, when they compare 
their lot with that of other countries, how great God's goodness is 
toward them in this respect. For, in a great part of the northern 



NOVEMBER XXI. 551 



Winter in the northern countries. 



countries, there is neither spring- nor autumn ; and the heat is as in- 
sufferable in summer, as the cold is in the winter ,* the violence of 
the latter is such, that spirits of wine freezes in the thermometer. 
When the door of a warmed chamber is opened, the external air 
which enters, converts all the vapours within into snow ; so that the 
place is filkd with thick white vapours. If a person go out of the 
house he is almost suffocated, and the air seems to tear the lungs. 
All appears in a state of death, no person daring to quit his apart- 
ments. Sometimes the cold becomes so intense, and that suddenly, 
that if a person cannot make a timely escape, he is in danger of 
losing an arm, a leg, or even life itself. The fall of the snow is still 
more dangerous : the wind drives it with so much violence, that a 
person cannot possibly find his path : trees and bushes are covered 
vv^ith it, people's eyes blinded, and, at every step the traveller is in 
danger of falling into a new precipice. In summer the day lasts for 
three months ; and, during the same space, a perpetual night reigns 
in winter. 

What would they say, who complain of the cold in our climates, 
were they obliged to live in the countries above described ? It is 
plain, that we do not know our own advantages : a very little reflec- 
tion would suffice to show us how contented we should be with our 
lot. However gloomy or severe our winter days may be, they are 
quite supportable by people in general ; and if there be some who 
cannot bear them, it is chiefly owing to their effeminacy and self-in- 
dulgence. 

But why has the Creator appointed so many thousands of people 
to dwell in regions where nature fills them with terror for a great 
part of the year ? Why has he not made these people as comfortable 
as we are ? Foolish questions ! We are mistaken, if we suppose that 
the inhabitants of the north pole are unhappy through the length and 
severity of their ivinter. Though poor, yet being exempt through 
their simplicity from all desires not easy to be satisfied, these peo- 
ple live contented among the icy rocks by which they are encom- 
passed, without know-ing the blessings which the inhabitants of 
southern climes consider as an essential part of their felicity. If the 
barrenness of their soil prevent their fields from bringing forth such 
a variety of fruits, plants, &c. as ours produce, tjie sea is so much 
the more bountiful in its gifts to them. Their mode of life inures 
them to cold, and enables them to defy the tempests ; and, as to par- 
ticular resources, without which they could not support the rigour 
of the climate, nature provides them in abundance. Their deserts 
are stocked with wild beasts, the fur of which protects them against 
the cold. Their reindeer supplies them with food, drink, garments 
beds, and tents : this supplies most of their wants ; and the animal 
that thus provides for them is supported with very little expense. 
When the sun does not rise with them, and they are surrounded 
with darkness, nature herself lights a torch for them., and the aurora 
horealis illuminates their nights. Possibly these people consider 



552 NOVEMBER XXL 



Winter in the northern countries. 



their own country as the most extensive and happiest in the worldj 
and pity our lot as much as we commiserate theirs. 

Thus each climate has its advantages and inconveniences, which 
are generally so well balanced, that it is difficult to say, upon the 
whole, which deserves the preference. Considered in this point of 
view, there is no country on the earth, whether the sun dart his 
rays on it in a perpendicular or oblique direction, or whether co- 
vered with eternal snow or otherwise, that can be said to enjoy more 
advantages than any other. In one place the conveniences of life 
are more numerous ; in another, that variety of blessings is absolutely 
wanting ; but those who have not this variety are subject to fewer 
temptations, carking cares, or bitter remorse ; in a word, they are 
ignorant of a multitude of obstacles to happiness, and this doubtless 
compensates for the want of a number of pleasures. We know with 
certainty, that Providence has dealt out to each country what was 
necessary for the support and comfort of its inhabitants. Every 
thing is adapted to the nature of the climate, and God provides, by 
the wisest means, for the wants of his creatures. 



NOVEMBER XXII. 

TRANSFORMATIONS IN NATURE. 

The transformations which take place in nature, are numerous ; or 
rather, every thing is metamorphosed in the natural world. The 
form of objects varies continually ; certain bodies pass successively 
through the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdom : and there are 
some compound substances which gradually become minerals, plants, 
insects, reptiles, fish, birds, beasts, and men. Millions of bodies are 
annually turned into dust. Where are the flowers which, during the 
spring and summer, adorned our fields, gardens, and meadows? One 
species appears, withers, and gives place to another. The flowers of 
March, and the modest violet, after having announced the approach- 
ing spring, have disappeared, that we might have room to admire the 
tulip and the rose. In their places others spring up, till all the 
flowers have fulfilled their design. It is exactly the same with respect 
to men. One generation comes and another goes. Thousands of 
human bodies return annually to that dust from which they were 
taken : but, from the redissolved bodies, new and more beautiful 
ones are formed. The salts and oils of which they were composed, 
dissolve in the earth : the more subtile parts are elevated in the at- 
mosphere by the heat of the sun; are there mingled with other 
matters, and being variously dispersed by the winds, fall down in dew 
and rain, sometimes on one place, and sometimes on another : as to 
the more gross parts, they unite with the earth. The grass which is 
nourished by this, grows into long spires : thus, the flesh of man be- 
comes grass and feeds the flocks, whose wholesome milk and flesh 
are afterward converted into our own substance. 



NOVEMBER XXII. 553 



Transformations in nature. 



These continual transformations which take place in nature are a 
sufficient proof that the Creator has determined that nothing- shall 
be lost and that nothing is useless. The dust on flowers, which is 
employed in the fecundation of plants, is but a very small portion of 
what each flower . contains : but, what appears superfluous, is not 
lost ; the wisdom of God has formed the bees, who make use of it 
for their honey. The earth gives us daily new gifts : and it would 
be finally exhausted if what it gives were not by some means ren- 
dered back again. All organized bodies become decomposed, and are 
at last converted into earth. During this dissolution, the volatile 
parts are raised into the atmosphere, and dispersed every where. 
Thus the remains of animals are scattered through the air, as well 
as through the earth and water : and perhaps the parts which rise 
into the atmosphere, are by far the least numerous. All those par- 
ticles, dispersed hither and thither, speedily reunite in new organic 
bodies, which, in their turn, shall undergo the same transmutations. 
And this circulation, these continual metamorphoses, which began 
when the world was created, shall terminate only when it is de- 
stroyed. 

But the most remarkable transformation, or at least that in which, 
we are most interested is, what concerns ourselves. We know that 
our bodies have not been originally, and will not hereafter be, com- 
posed of the same number of particles as at present. The body which 
we had in our mother's womb, was extremely little : it was larger 
when we came into the world ; and since that time, it has increased 
to fifteen or twenty times that size : consequently, blood, flesh, and 
other foreign substances, drawn from the animal and vegetable king- 
doms, which did not belong to our bodies, have been since assimilated 
to them, and became a part of themselves. The need we have of 
daily food proves that there is a continual waste of the particles of 
which our bodies are composed, and that this waste must be repaired by 
aliments. Many particles evaporate imperceptibly ; for it appears, by 
very correct experiments made by an eminent physician on himself, 
that of eight pounds of food, which are necessary for the support of 
a healthy man, only one fiftieth part is converted into his substance, 
and all the rest is disposed of by perspiration, and other excretions. 
From this it may be inferred, that in ten years few of the particles 
of which we are now composed will remain. And, finally, when 
our bodies shall have gone through several changes, they shall be 
transformed into dust, till, at the day of the resurrection, they undergo 
that blessed and last revolution, which shall place them in an unaltera- 
ble and eternal state. 

How should we rejoice at this future state, where we shall be free 
from all the changes which we experience here below ! Let us look 
with serenity on the daily revolutions to which all earthly things are 
subject, and which are necessary in the present state. By acting 
thus we shall draw nearer to perfection. May we not rejoice in 
hope of this ffrand rerolution ! When the earth shall have under- 

70 



554 NOVEMBER XXII. 



Transformations in nature. 



gone its last and great change, may we be introduced into the new 
heavens and the new earth, where even the shadow of change shall 
never exist I 



NOVEMBER XXIII. 

THE GREATNESS OF GOD DISCERNIBLE IN LITTLE THINGS. 

He who delights to contemplate the works of God, will not only 
discover his hand in those immense globes which compose the sys- 
tem of the universe, but also in the little worlds of insects, plants, 
and metals. He will search for, and adore the wisdom of God, as 
"well in the spider's web as in that power of gravitation which attracts 
the earth toward the sun. These researches are at present the easier, 
as microscopes have discovered to us new scenes and new worlds, 
in which we behold, in miniature, whatever may excite our admira- 
tion. They who have not the opportunity of using these machines, 
will read at least with pleasure, the following remarks on microscopic 
objects. 

Let us, in the first place, observe the inanimate world. Behold 
those mosses and little plants, which God has produced in such great 
abundance. Of what extremely small particles and fine threads are 
these plants composed ! What a variety in their forms and shapes ! 
Who can enumerate all their genera, and all their species ! Think 
on the innumerable multitude of small particles of which every body 
is composed, and which may be detached from it. If a hexagon of 
an inch square contain a hundred millions of visible parts, who can 
calculate all the particles which compose a mountain ! If millions 
of globules of Avater may be suspended from the point of a needle, 
how many must there be in a spring, in a well, in a river, in the sea ! 
If from a lighted candle there issue in a second, more particles of 
light than there are grains of sand on the whole earth, how many 
igneous particles must there issue from a large fire in an hour ! If one 
grain of sand contain more than a thousand millions of particles of 
earth, how many must there be in the human body ! If men can di- 
vide one grain of copper into millions of parts, without arriving at the 
first elements of matter; if odoriferous bodies can exhale a suffi- 
ciency of odorous particles, so as to be perceived at a great distance, 
without any sensible diminution of weight in those bodies, it would 
require an eternity for the human mind to calculate the number of 
these particles ! 

If we pass next to the animal kingdom, the scene will be infinitely 
extended. In summer the air swarms with living creatures ; each 
drop of water is a little w^orld full of inhabitants ; every leaf is a 
colony of insects ; and every grain of sand is the habitation of a 
multitude of animated beings. Every plant, seed, and flower, 
flourishes millions of creatures. Every person has seen those innu- 



NOVEMBER XXIII. 555 



Greatness of Gaci discernible in little things. 



merable swarms of flies, gnats, and other insects, which gather to- 
gether in a small space : what prodigious hosts must there be of them 
that live, sport, and multiply their kind over the face of the whole 
earth, and in the immense extent of the atmosphere ! How many 
millions of still smaller insects and worms are there which crawl on 
the earth, or in the entrails of animals, the number of which is only 
known to God ! With what splendour does the power of God mani- 
fest itsqtf to the mind, when we reflect on the multitude of parts of 
which these creatures are com.posed, of whose very existence most 
men are ignorant. Were we not convinced of it by daily experience, 
could we imagine there were animals a million of times less than a 
grain of sand, with organs of nutrition, motion, generation, &c. ? 
There are shell-fish so small that even- viewed through the micro- 
scope, they appear scarcely so large as a grain of barley ; and yet 
they are real animals, with durable dwelling-places, the foldings and 
recesses of which form so many different apartments ! How exceed- 
ingly small is a mite ! Nevertheless, this almost imperceptible point 
seen through a microscope, is a hairy animal, perfect in all its mem- 
bers, of a regular figure, full of life and sensibility, and provided 
with every necessary organ ! Although this animal is scarcely visible 
to us, yet it has a multitude of still smaller parts : and what is yet 
more admirable is, that the glasses which show us so many faults and 
imperfections in the most finished works of men, can discern nothing 
but regularity and perfection in these microscopic objects. How in- 
conceivably fine and slender are the threads of a spider ! it has been 
calculated, that it would take 36,000 of them to make the thickness 
of a thread of common sewing silk ! Each of the six papilla, from 
which the spider draws that glutinous liquor of which it forms its web, 
is composed of a thousand insensible pores, which give passage to so 
many threads ; so that however fine the spider's thread may appear, 
it is composed of 6000 smaller ones. - - ■» 

You are struck with astonishment. But suppose we had micro- 
scopes which would magnify some thousands of times more than 
those glasses do, through which a mite appears no larger than a grain 
of barley, what wonders should we then see ! And even then, should 
we reach the limits of the creation in these inconceivably small pro- 
ductions ? Certainly not : and it would be presumption and extrava- 
gance to believe it. Each creature has a kind of infinity ; and the 
more we contemplate the works of God, the more the wonders of 
his power will be multiplied in our sight. 

Our imagination is confounded in the two extremes of nature, the 
great and the small : and we know not whether Ave should admire 
the Divine power more in those enormous masses, those immense 
globes wich roll above our heads, or in those microscopic animals 
which are invisible to the naked eye. Should not the contemplation 
of the works of God be our most pleasing occupation ? The trouble 
of study would be amply compensated by the pure and innocent 
pleasures which it \yould afford. It would, at least, awaken in us an 



556 NOVEMBER XXIII. 



Greatness of God discernible in little tilings. 



ardent desire to arrive in those blessed regions, where we should 
require neither microscopes nor telescopes to enable us to discover 
the wondrous works of God. There, all his works shall be so un- 
veiled to our eyes, that we shall be able to distinguish the destination, 
structure, and relations, of each object. There immortal songs of 
praise shall resound to the honour of the Creator of the universe. 
There, all distinction of great and small shall be entirely done away, for 
every thing shall appear great in our sight, and fill our soul^^with ad- 
miration and joy ! 



DECEMBER XXIV. 

GRADUAL INCREASE OF THE COLD. 

We daily perceive that the cold gradually increases. In the last 
month we lost part of the warmth of autumn : but the cold was then 
very moderate ; for the earth was still in a measure warmed by the 
rays of the sun. The present month is still colder, and the shorter 
the days grow, the more the earth loses its warmth ; and the cold 
consequently increases. We cannot doubt this : daily experience 
proves it. But do we sufficiently consider the wisdom and goodness 
of the Creator, which are manifest in this arrangement ? It cer- 
tainly requires but a small degree of attention to discover this wis- 
dom and goodness in the insensible progress of the cold. 

In the first place, this gradual increase is indispensably necessary 
to prevent a derangement in, if not a total destruction of, our bodies. 
If the cold, virhich we feel in the winter months, were to come sud- 
denly in the beginning of autumn, we should be instantly benumbed, 
and this change would speedily become mortal. How readily do we 
catch cold in the cool summer evenings ? And how would it be, 
were we to pass suddenly from the burning heats of summer to the 
freezing cold of winter? With how much goodness has the Creator 
provided for our health and life, in granting us such a temperature 
in the months which immediately follow the summer, as sufficently 
prepares our bodies to endure the increase of the cold without in- 
jury ! 

What would become of the animals whose delicate constution 
could not endure the cold, if the winter came on suddenly, and with- 
out being previously announced ? Two-thirds of fowls and insects 
would perish irrecoverably in a single night ; and their eggs and 
young with them. But as the cold augments by degrees, they have 
time to make the necessary preparations for their preservation. 
The autumnal months, which separate the summer from the winter, 
warn them to leave their present dwellings to go into warmer climates, 
or seek places where they may quietly and securely rest during the 
aevere seasons. 



iS[OVEMBEK XXIV. 557 



Gradual increase of the cold. 



It would not be less fatal to our fields and gardens, were the earth 
to be suddenly deprived of the heat of summer: all the 'plants, and 
particularly the exotics, would instantly perish ; and the spring could 
produce no flowers, and the summer no fruits. 

It is therefore just, that in this arrangement we should acknowledge 
and adore the wisdom and goodness of God. Let us not consider it 
as a matter of little importance that the heat diminishes insensibly, 
and the cold gradually increases, from the end of summer to the begin- 
ning of winter. These insensible revolutions were necessary that 
we, and millions of other creatures, might be able to subsist; and that 
the earth might be able to bring forth fruit. If the presumptuous 
man, who so often dares to find fault with the laws of nature, could 
displace one single wheel in the great machine, he would soon find, 
to his cost, that instead of mending he had marred the whole. Let 
us understand, that nothing is suddenly produced : and that no change 
takes place till it is sufficiently matured. All natural events succeed 
each other gradually, all proceed in the most regular order, and hap- 
pen precisely at the specified time. Order is the great law which 
God follows in the government of the world ; and hence it is that all 
his works are beautiful, regular, and perfect. 

Let it be our constant occupation to study the beauty and perfection 
of God's works, and we shall acknowledge the traces of the divine 
wisdom and goodness in every season of the year. Then all those 
foolish complaints shall cease, by which we have so often insulted our 
Creator ; we shall find order, wisdom, and goodness, even in those 
things, where we thought we could discover nothing but disorder and 
imperfection; and we shall exclaim at last, with the deepest convic- 
tion — All the ways of the Lord are goodness and truth ; his conduct 
toward us is mercy and kindness ; but this is evident only to those who 
love his covenant and keep his precepts. 



NOVEMBER XXV. 

REFLECTIONS ON SNOW. 

During winter, the dullest season of the year, the earth is often 
covered with snow. Every person sees it fall, but few take the trouble 
to examine its nature, or inquire into its use. 

This is the general lot of those objects which we have commonly 
before our eyes, and from which we derive various advantages. Often, 
the things which deserve our attention most, are those which we gene- 
rally neglect. Let us be wiser in future ; and begin by reflecting a 
few moments on snow. 

It is formed of very light vapours, which being congealed in the 
atmosphere, fall down afterward in flakes of different dimensions. 
In our climates these flakes are often very large ; but we are assu- 



55S NOVEMBER XXV. 



Reflections on snow. 



red, that in Lapland the snow is very small, and resembles fine dry 
dust. This is doubtless occasioned by the great cold of that coun- 
try. It is observed that among us the flakes are large in proportion to 
the degree of cold ; and that they become very small when it freezes 
intensely. The little flakes generally resemble hexagonal stars ; but 
some have eight angles, others te7i, and some are altogether irregular. 
The best way of examining them is to receive them on white paper : 
but hitherto little has been said satisfactory on the cause of these dif- 
ferent forms. The ivhiteness of this meteor may be easily accounted 
for. Snow is extremely thin and light ; consequently it has a great 
multitude of pores which are filled with air : it is, beside, composed 
of parts more or less close and compact ; such a substance does not 
permit the rays of the sun to pass through, nor does it absorb them ; 
on the contrary, it reflects them with considerable force^ and this is 
what makes it to appear white to us. 

Snow, as it falls, is twenty-four times lighter than water. This is 
proved by melting twenty -four measures of snow, for they produce 
but one of water. For snow is not frozen water but only frozen va- 
pour. Snow evaporates considerably ; and the greatest cold does not 
impede this evaporation. It has been doubted whether it snows at 
sea; but those who have performed voyages in the winter, on the 
northern seas, have assured us that they have there met with much 
snow. It is well known, that the tops of high mountains are gene- 
rally covered with snow : if a part of it melts, it is speedily replaced 
by new flakes. As the air is much warmer on the plains than it is on 
the mountain-tops, it may rain on the former, while it snows heavily 
on the latter. 

Snow has a variety of uses. As the cold of winter is more injuri- 
ous to tlie vegetable kingdom than it is to the animal, plants must 
perish were they not protected by some covering. God has so or- 
dered it, that the rain, which in the summer fell to cool and nourish 
the plants, should fall in winter under ihe form of soft wool : which 
covers the vegetables, and protects them from the l-igours of the 
frost, and the chilling blasts of wind. Snow has a certain degree of 
warmth ; but so temperate as not to stifle the grain. And, as it con- 
tains, like all other vapours, different salts, which it drops when 
thawed, it contributes much to the fertilization of the earth. When, 
therefore the snow melts, it becomes a fruitful moisture to the earth ; 
and, at the same time, washes away from winter seeds and plants 
whatever might prevent or injure their growth. What remains of this 
snow-water, helps to supply springs and rivers, which were diminish- 
ed during the winter. 

These reflections may be sufficient to convince us of the goodness 
of God, which is manifest in the meteor of which we have spoken. 
We see plainly that winter has its advantages, and that it is not such 
a gloomy season as many imagine. Let us raise our hearts in grati- 
tude and joy to that beneficent God, who even from snow and clouds 






NOVEMBER XXV. 559 



Reflections on snow. 



pours down blessings and abundance upon the earth. Our com- 
plaints and murmurs are insulting tathe Divine government ; and they 
are the more criminal, because we may in every occurrence behold the 
footsteps of the wisdom and goodness of God, 



NOVEMBER XXVI. 

SLEEP OF ANIMALS DURING WINTER. 

Nature seems dead at present, because it is deprived of so many 
creatures which, in summer, rendered it so beautiful and lively. 
Most of the animals which have disappeared, are buried during the 
winter in a profound sleep. This happens not only to caterpillars, 
but also to may-bugs, ants, flies, spiders, snails, frogs, lizards, and 
serpents. It is an error to suppose that the ants lay up provisions for 
winter ; the least cold benumbs them, and they continue in this state 
till spring. Of what use then would magazines of provisions be, 
seeing nature has prevented their need of food in winter ? Nor does 
it appear, that they collect stores for other animals. What they col- 
lect during the summer with so much care, serves not for their subsis- 
tence ; they employ it only as materials for building their habitations. 

There are also several birds, which, when food begins to fail, hide 
themselves in the earth, or in caves, to sleep out the winter. AVe 
are assured, at least, that before winter sets in, the stra7id-sw allows 
hide themselves in the earth ; the wall-sicalloics hide themselves in 
holes of trees and old buildings ; and the house or common sivalloios 
seek for ponds, where they fasten themselves in pairs, and cling to 
roots or reeds, and continue without motion, and apparently without 
life, till the return of spring reanimates them. 

There are some beasts, also, which bury themselves in the earth 
toward the end of summer. The most remarkable of these is the 
mountain rat, which generally lives on the Alps. Though it delights 
in the highest mountains, in the regions of frost and snow, it is, ne- 
vertheless, more subject than any other animal to be benumbed with 
the cold. Hence it is that these animals hide themselves about the 
end of September, or beginning of October, in subterraneous dwell- 
ings ; in which they remain till April. There is much art and pre- 
caution in their winter residence. It is a sort of gallery, the two 
wings of which have a particular opening, and both terminate in a 
place where there is no other opening ; and this is their habitation. 
One of these two branches goes sloping down from the place where 
they lodge ; here they deposit their excrements, the moisture of 
which readily runs off. The other branch is more lofty, and serves 
them to go *^in and come out by. The place where they dwell is 
lined with hay and moss. This animal lays up no provision for win- 
ter, as it would be useless. Before they enter into their winter- 



560 NOVEMBER XXVL 



Sleep of animals during winter. 



quarters, each prepares a bed of moss and hay with great care ; and 
when they have formed the two openings of their dwelling, they 
compose themselves to sleep. As long as their torpid state endures, 
they taste nothing. At the commencement of winter they are so 
very fat that some of them weigh not less than twenty pounds ; but 
they fall away by degrees, and are very lean in the spring. 

As they eat nothing during the winter, they have no evacuations ; 
iheir ccecum, or first great gut, is furnished with annular valves, 
which retain the excrement till the time of their waking. We are 
informed, that as soon as these animals feel the first approach of the 
cold, they go to some spring, where they drink so long and so plenti- 
fully till the water which they make comes from them as pure and 
clear as it was when they swallowed it. A natural instinct leads 
them to this, to prevent the corruption which matters accumulated in 
their stomach might occasion during their long state of torpidity. 
When these animals are discovered in their retreats, they are found 
rolled up in a lump, enveloped with hay : their nose laid in their belly, 
that they may not perspire too much of their moisture ; their lymph 
wastes fast enough ; and it was highly necessary to have attenuated 
their blood by the quantity of water which they drank. During their 
torpid state, they may be carried away without awaking them : and 
they may be even killed without appearing to feel it. There is 
another species of rats, whose sleep is as long and profound as that 
of the mountain rat ; and which are, therefore, termed the seven 
sleepers. Bears eat prodigiously at the beginning of winter ; and 
they seem to eat as if they intended to devour as much at once as 
would be sufficient for their whole lives. As they are naturally fat, 
and are excessively so at the end of autumn, this abundance of fat 
enables them to endure their abstinence during the winter. Badgers 
prepare themselves in the same manner for their winter repose. 

The instinct of these, and other animals, teaches them how to pre- 
serve themselves without nourishment, daring so long a time. From 
Their first winter, even before they could have learnt any thing by 
experience, they foresee their long sleep, and provide against it. 
In their peaceable retreat, they neither feel want, hunger, nor cold. 
They know no other season than that of summer ; and what is still 
more remarkable is, that all animals do not sleep thus during winter ; it 
is only those which, with the severe cold, can also endure an absti- 
nence of several months. If the winter came upon them unawares, 
so that though enfeebled with hunger, and benumbed with cold, they 
still continued to live ; it might be said that there was nothing sur- 
prising in this but the strength of their constitution. But, as they 
know how to prepare themselves beforehand for the time of their 
sleep, and as the most of them do this with much care and precau- 
tion, we are obliged to attribute the whole to an admirable instinct, 
with which the Creator has endued them. Yes, the wisdom and 
goodness of God has provided for the wants of all his creatures : 
and this he can do by a thousand different ways, which the human 



NOVEMBER XXVI. 561 



Sleep of aiiimals during winter. 



understanding cannot conceive. May we not conclude from this, 
that as he thus watches over all the works of his hands, he will not 
disdain to watch even for our preservation and comfort? 



NOVEMBER XXVII. 

USE OF STOKMS. 

Perhaps there are several, who, in this stormy season, reckon 
winds and tempests among the disorders and scourges of nature. 
They do not consider the benefits which result from them ; as, with- 
out them, we should be a thousand times more unhappy than we 
really are. Nothing can be truer than this : tempests are the pro- 
per means of purifying the atmosphere : to be convinced of which, 
we have only to pay attention to the general state of the weather at 
this season. What thick and unwholesome mist; what rainy, gloomy, 
and cloudy days, have we at present ! Storms are chiefly designed 
to disperse these noxious vapours, and remove them from us : and 
this is, doubtless, a great benefit, which we derive from them. The 
universe is governed by the same laws as man, who is not impro- 
perly called a little icorld. Our health consists, in a great measure, 
in the agitation and mixture of the various humours ; which, without 
this, would soon grow corrupt. The case is the same with respect 
to the world: that the air may not become injurious, either to the 
earth or to animal life, it is necessary that it should be continually 
agitated; and this the wind effects; I do not mean, by gentle light 
winds, but by storms and tempests, which collect vapours from diffe- 
rent countries ; and forming one mass of the whole, mix the good 
and bad together, and thus correct the one by the other. 

Storms are also useful to the sea. Were it not violently agitated, 
the stagnation, even of salt water, would produce a degree of putre- 
faction, which would not only become mortal to the innumerable 
shoals of fish which live in it, but would also be very injurious to 
those who sail on it. Motio7i is the soul of universal nature ; it pre- 
serves every thing in order, and prevents destruction. Were the sea 
itself excepted from the general rule, as it is the common receptacle 
for all the dregs of the earth, where so many millions of animal and 
vegetable substances, putrefy ; were it not continually agitated, its 
waters would putrefy and infect every thing with their insupporta- 
ble stench. Motion is as necessary to the sea, as circulation is to 
the blood of animals : and the other causes, which give it a gentle, 
uniform, and almost insensible motion, are not sufficient to purify the 
whole mass. Nothing but storms can produce this effect ; and we 
see what great advantages result from this, not only to men, but also 
to many millions of other animals. 

These are some of the uses of storms ; and the reasons wdiich 
ought to prevent us from considering them as destructive scourges and 

71 



662 NOVEMBER XXVII. 



Use of storms. 



instruments of the Divine vengeance. It is true, that storms have 
often destroyed vessels richly laden ; destroyed the hopes of the 
hushandman and the gardener ; laid whole provinces waste, and 
spread terror, desolation, and horror, every where. But what is 
there in nature which has not its inconveniences ; and which may 
not become, in certain respects, noxious ? Shall we reckon the sun 
in the list of the scourges of our globe because, from his situation, 
the earth is for some months barren ; and, at other times, his heat 
scorches and dries up our fields ? Those phenomena of nature 
should only appear formidable to us where the advantages are little 
or nothing in comparison of their attendant evils. But, can this be 
said of storms, if we consider the benefits which result from them to 
the earth, to men, and to beasts? Let us therefore acknowledge, that 
God has planned all in wisdom ; and that we should be satisfied with 
the present constitution of things. Happy they who are convinced 
that every thing in the universe tends to the general good of the 
creatures ; that the evil which may be found in the world is com- 
pensated by numerous advantages ; and that the means even which 
Providence makes use of to prove and chasten us, are, in themselves, 
indispensable benefits ; the general effect of which abundantly com- 
pensates for the partial evil which, in some particular cases, may 
result from them. 



NOVEMBER XXVIII. 

FORTTJITOUS EVENTS. 

Properly speaking, chance can produce nothing ; for nothing can 
happen but what has its real and determinate cause. What we call 
chance, then, is no more than the unexpected concurrence of seve- 
ral causes, which produce an unforeseen effect. Experience teaches 
us that these kinds of causes are frequent in human life ; unforeseen 
accidents may entirely change the fortune of men, and blast all their 
designs. Naturally speaking, it seems as if the race should be to the 
swift, the battle to the strong, and success to the most wise and pru- 
dent : but this is not always the case ; and often an unexpected acci- 
dent, a favourable circumstance, and an event which it was impossi- 
ble to foresee, are more effectual than all that human power, wisdom, 
and prudence, can perform. How many would be to be pitied, if a 
wise and beneficent hand did not regulate every event ? And how 
could God govern men, if what is called chance were not obedient 
to his voice ? The lot of individuals, of families, even of whole 
kingdoms, depends often on circumstances which may appear to us 
little and despicable. Were we to deny that Providence governs 
these small events, we must, at the same time, deny that it has any 
infiueiiee in the greatest reA^olutions which happen in the world. 



NOVEMBER XXVIII. 563 



Fortuitous events. 



We see that accidents daily take place, on which our temporal 
happiness or misery, in a great measure, depends. It is evident, that 
we cannot guard against this sort of accidents, because we cannot 
foresee them. But it follows thence, that these unexpected events, 
which are above our understanding, are, nevertheless, subject to the 
empire of Providence. The wisdom and goodness of God leave us, 
more or less, to ourselves, according to the degrees of strength and 
understanding we have to conduct ourselves rationally. But, in those 
circumstances, where our strength and prudence can perform no- 
thing, we may rest assured that God will more particularly watch 
over us for good. In all other cases, human labour and industry 
must concur with the aid and protection of heaven : for it is only in 
those unforeseen accidents, that Providence acts alone. And as, in 
all that is termed chance, we see evident footsteps of the wisdom, 
goodness, and justice of God, it is manifest that chance itself is sub- 
ject to the Divine government ; and it is then that the empire of 
Providence appears with most splendour* When the beauty, order, 
and arrangement of the world, fill us with admiration, we conclude, 
without hesitation, that an infinitely wise Being must preside over it. 
With how much greater reason should we draw the same conclusion, 
when we reflect on those great events, produced by accidents, which 
the human mind could not foresee ? Have we not a thousand exam- 
ples, that the happiness, and even the life of men, the fate of na-= 
tions, the issue of a war, the revolutions of empires, and other simi- 
lar affairs, depend on accidents, absolutely unforeseen ? An unex- 
pected event may confound projects concerted with the utmost se- 
crecy and address, and annihilate the most formidable power. It is 
on the well-grounded belief of a Providence that our faith, tran- 
quillity, and hope, must rest. Whatever the evils may be which 
surround us : however great the dangers by which we are threat- 
ened, God can deliver us by a thousand means, entirely unknown to 
ourselves. The lively persuasion of this consolatory truth ought, 
on the one hand, to fill us with profound respect for the Governor of 
the world ; and on the other, engage us to seek God in all things ; ta 
raise our hearts always to Him, and to put oxir whole trust and confi- 
dence in Him. This truth ought, likewise, to curb our pride ; and 
inspire, particularly, the great men of the earth with that religious 
fear which they should have for the Supreme Being, who holds in 
his hands a thousand means, unknown to us, by which he can over- 
turn the fabric of happiness which we have so arrogantly erected. 
Lastly, this same truth is better calculated than any thing else, to 
banish from our souls all distrust, anxiety, and discouragement ; and 
to fill us with holy joy. *' The infinitely wise Being has a thousand 
ways unknown to us ; but they are ways of mercy and love ; and all 
his dispensations are regulated by wisdom and justice. He vyills the 
happiness of his creatures ; and nothing can oppose his will. He 
commands, and universal nature is obedient to his voice." 



564 NOVEMBER XXIX. 



Majesty of God. 



NOVEMBER XXIX. 

THE MAJESTY OF GOD. 

Nothing is more difficult than to endeavour to form such ideas of 
God as are in any degree worthy of his greatness and majesty. It 
is as impossible for us to comprehend him perfectly, as it would be to 
hold the sea in the hollow of our hand ; and compass the heavens 
with a span. Of God it may be justly said. He is both well known 
to, and concealed from, us. He is very nigh, and yet infinitely be- 
yond us. Well known, and very nigh, in respect to his being ; and 
infinitely distant and hidden in respect to his nature, perfections, and 
purposes. But, on this very account, it is our duty to endeavour to 
know his greatness ; as it is necessary that we should form those 
sentiments of veneration for him which are his due. To assist our 
weakness, in this respect, let us compare him with what men esteem 
and admire most, and we shall see that God is infinitely above all. 

We admire the power of kings ; and we are filled with astonish- 
ment when we find they have conquered vast empires, taken cities 
and fortresses, erected superb buildings, and have been the means of 
the happiness or misery of whole nations. But if we are struck 
with the power of a man, who is but dust and ashes, the greater 
part of whose exploits is due to other agents, how should we ad- 
mire the power of God, who has founded the earth and formed the 
heavens : who holds the sun in his hand, and upholds the immense 
fabric of the universe by the word of his power ! We are, with 
reason, astonished at the heat of the sun, the impetuosity of the 
winds, the roaring of the sea, the peals of thunder, and the incon- 
ceivable rapidity of the lightning : but it is God who lights up the 
solar fire, who thunders in the clouds, makes the winds his messen- 
gers, the flames of fire his ministers, and who raises and calms the 
waves of the sea. 

We justly respect those who have distinguished themselves by the 
extent of their genius and their knowledge ; but what is the knowledge 
that the whole human understanding can acquire, in comparison of the 
wisdom of that august Being, before whom all is uncovered and all 
known : who counts the stars of heaven, numbers the sands of the sea ; 
knows the path of every drop that falls from the atmosphere ; and who, 
with one look, beholds the past, the present, and the future, in the same 
moment ! How much wisdom shines in the construction of the uni- 
verse; in the revolutions of the planets; in the arrangement of our 
globe ; in the meanest worm ; and in the smallest flower ! They are 
so many masterpieces, which infinitely surpass the most magnificent 
and most perfect work of man. 

We are dazzled with the splendour of riches ; we admire the pa- 
laces of kings ; the magnificence of their furniture ; the pomp of 



NOVEMBER XXIX. 565 



Majesty of God. 



their clothing- ; the beauty of their apartments ; and the abundance 
of gold, silver, and precious stones, which shine on every side : but 
how little is all this, compared with the riches of the Lord our God, 
ivhose throne is the heavens ; and whose footstool is the earth ! The 
heavens are his, and the earth also ; the habitable world, and all that 
dwell therein. He has fitted up dwellings for all creatures ; he has 
established stores for all men and all animals : he causes grass to grow 
for cattle ; and corn for the service of man. All that is useful and 
excellent in the world, is drawn from his treasures. Life, health, 
riches, glory, happiness, every thing that can constitute the good of 
his creatures ; all are in his hand and he distributes them according 
to his good pleasure. 

We respect the great men of the earth, when they command a 
multitude of subjects, and reign over many countries : but what is 
that spot which is subject to them in comparison of the empire cf 
the universe ; of w^hich our globe is but a small province ; which 
extends over all the heavenly bodies and their inhabitants ! How 
great must that Master be, who has all monarchs of the universe for 
his servants ; and who beholds around his throne the cherubim and 
seraphim ever ready to fly to execute his orders ! 

We judge of the greatness of men by their actions : we celebrate 
kings who have built cities and palaces ; who have governed their 
estates well, and who have successfully accomplished great designs. 
But how astonishing are the works of the Most High ! How won- 
derful the creation of this immense universe ; the preservation of so 
many creatures ; the wise and equitable government of innumerable 
worlds ; the redemption of the human race ; the punishment of the 
wicked, and the recompense of the good ! 

Who is like unto thee, O Lord ! Thou art great, thy name is great, 
and thy works proclaim thy grandeur I Nothing can be imagined 
equal to the greatness of our God. Should not a religious reverence 
ever possess our souls at the thought of the presence of the Ruler of 
the world, the Lord, who encompasses all our paths ? The brightness 
of the stars is absorbed by the presence of the sun : thus all the glo- 
ry, all the knowledge, all the power, and all the riches of the world 
vanish, when compared with the glory and majesty of God. The 
soul exults, and is ennobled in meditating on the greatness of the Most 
High. Such sublime meditations delightfully exercise all our spirit- 
ual faculties : we are filled with reverence, admiration, and joy : 
when, in a holy transport, we represent to our minds, the Being of 
beings, the Eternal, the Almighty, the Infinite ! Can we help ex- 
claiming with ecstasy. The Lord, He is God ! The Lord, He is God ! 
Give glory to Him for ever and ever ! 



566 NOVEMBER XXX. 



Motives for contentment. 



NOVEMBER XXX, 

MOTIVES FOR CONTENTMENT. 

Let sweet contentment take possession of our souls. God is good : 
mercy and love shine through all his works. Let us contemplate his 
mighty deeds : the world and all it contains proclaim him : all that ho 
has formed is worthy of him alone. 

The heavens and the earth are proofs of his power : the sun who 
rules the day ; and the moon who rules the night ; all that is endued 
with motion and life, exalt the mighty God. 

Consider the works of his hands ; men and brutes show that his 
power is infinite : even the smallest objects, the spire of grass, and 
the grain of dust, teach the knowledge of the Lord. 

Ask the mountains, and the vallies ; the heights of heaven, and the 
depths of the ocean ; the winds and the tempests ; the despicable 
worm that crawls in the dust, and they will all proclaim his wisdom 
infinite, and his power unbounded ! 

How shall we exalt him ! With what songs of praise shall we cele- 
brate that God, who has given us life and being ! Our bodies, and 
the souls which animate them, are presents from his hand : may we 
magnify him as long as we have a being ! 

Objects of his faithful care throughout the day, each morning wit- 
nesses that he has watched over us during the darkness of the night. 
No moment passes without furnishing us with motives to bless him, 
who is the light and strength of our life. 

If we be a prey to adversity, and oppressed by sufferings ; scarcely 
do we feel the weight of them, till the Divine power comes in to ena- 
ble us to support them. His victorious strength comes to our suc- 
cour ; and our difficulties are surmounted. 

O my soul, thou hast long experienced this ; let it never be for- 
gotten : never give way to the fear that thou shalt be abandoned by 
that God, who cannot hate any thing he has made. 

Let us submit to his holy Avill ; and bless him for all his dispensa- 
tions ; persuaded that he will accomplish his merciful designs; for he 
is great in counsel, and abundant in means. 



NOVEMBER XXX.^ 

GRATITUDE AT THE REMEMBRANCE OF PAST MERCIES. 

Almighty God : thou art the common Father of all the genera- 
tions which dwell on the earth ; thou art my Father also. May I feel 
myself absolutely dependent on thee, not only in respect to my ex- 
istence, but also for every thing I possess ! I bless thee, I give thee 
thanks for the life which thou hast granted me ; and for all the mer- 
cies which thou hast heaped upon me from the beginning until now. 



NOVEMBER XXX.=5^ 567 



Gratitude at the remembrance of past mercies. 

I bless thy kind providence for my tender family, relations, and 
for all the comforts and benefits which I have enjoyed in domestic 
life. 

I bless thee for the life and health I enjoy ; and for the abundant 
means which thou hast provided to feed, clothe, and furnish me with 
a convenient habitation ; thou, Lord, hast provided for all my neces- 
sities. 

I give thee thanks for the success, with which my just enterprises, 
and the labours of my calling have been crowned ; for all the bless- 
ings which thy liberal hand has daily conferred en me ; and for every 
thing which has in any way or measure, contributed to my preserva- 
tion and temporal happiness. 

I should also bless thee, that when thou didst permit adversity and 
affliction to approach my dwelling, thou didst not then leave me 
without comfort and support. In the midst of my trials, and the just 
chastisements which thou hast sometimes inflicted on me, thou hast 
not abandoned me. Thou hast softened and moderated the correc- 
tions which I deserved ; and thou hast condescended again to restore 
me to thy favour. Thy fatherly hand has guided me ; and thou hast 
rejoiced over me to do me good. 

Should not the constant experience which I have had of thy good- 
ness, fill me with perfect confidence, and encourage me to trust my 
soul, body, and interests in thy hands? May I not hope that thou 
wilt continue to watch over me ; and that, as far as thou judgest it 
consistent with my real happiness, thou wilt preserve me from those 
ills and distressing accidents, which might disturb my repose ? May 
I enjoy, w^ith a wise and grateful heart, the mercies thou grantest 
me ; that in prosperity I may ever aspire after thee, who art the 
Author of all good ! But, if thou hast determined, in the impene- 
trable councils of thy wisdom, that I should pass through various ills, 
afflictions, and disappointments, may I submit with perfect resignation 
to the wise dispensations of thy Providence, and glorify thee to the 
utmost of my power, in adversity, as well as in prosperity ! 

To thee, Lord our God, to thee, who art the Father of all thy 
intelligent creatures in heaven and in earth, to thee be honour and 
glory, now and for ever ! 



568 DECEMBER I. 



Hymn of praise. 



DECEMBER 



DECEMBER I. 

A HYMN OF PRAISE. 

Well may our souls be astonished, and filled with admiration, 
when we reflect on the unmerited mercies which we have received 
from the hands of the Lord our God ! Laden with his mercies, filled 
with transport, how can we sufficiently express our gratitude and joy ! 

While we were yet asleep, concealed in our mother's womb, thou 
didst then fix our lot : thou hast regulated the condition of mortals, 
before their eyes saw the light of the day : and mine was (0 blessed 
lot !) to be born in a Christian land. 

Full of compassion for our weakness, thou didst incline thine ear 
to our infant cries ; our lips stammered thy praises ; and thou didst 
condescend to hear what could not as yet be termed prayer. 

When in the giddiness of youth, we wandered far from the paths 
of virtue, thy merciful goodness condescended to recal us to a sense 
of our duty. 

Thou hast been our shield and fortress in danger and distress ; and 
thou hast often preserved us from the snares of vice ; more to be 
dreaded than the worst temporal climates. 

When threatened with death, a mortal paleness was diffused over 
^ur face ; thou didst rekindle the almost extinguished lamp of life : 
and when the remembrance of our transgressions tormented our 
souls, thy grace afforded us comfort. 

Blessed art thou, who loved us so well : who hast given us 
the sweet consolations of friendship. But, what is that greatest of 
all benefits which the heart can conceive : for which this heart, en- 
tirely consecrated to thee, desires to exalt thee, the greatest good 
which can be possibly enjoyed on earth ? Is it not, my God, to 
be permitted to approach thee^ to celebrate thy mercy, and to glorify 
the name of the Almighty ? 

In my fears, in my distresses, in dangers and wretchedness, I will 
confide in thy mercy alone. When my soul is strengthened by thee, 
even death itself shall lose its terrors. 

When the heavens shall pass away with a mighty noise : when the 
fabric of the universe shall be dissolved, I shall triumph above its 
ruins, ,and bless the powerful hand that has raised me above the 
wreck of a crushed world. O thou Most High ; eternity is too 
short to utter all thy praise !^ 

* There is a great similarity between the above hymn, (which makes fourteen verses in 
the German) and the celebrated hymn of Mr. Addison, which begins with, "When all 
thy mercies, O my God," &c. Has not the German borrowed from the English poef? 



568 



DECEMBER I. 




DECEMBER II. 569 



Era of the creation. 



DECEMBER II. 

THE EKA OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, AND THE FORMATION OF 

MAN. 

If we fix the epoch of the creation of the world according to the 
testimony of the sacred writings, it can scarcely have subsisted 6000 
years. Those who suppose it much older, are contradicted both by 
reason and the historic monuments which have been handed down 
to us. The history of the human race does not go further back 
than that which Moses has written ; for all that has been said con - 
cerning the origin of ancient nations, is advanced without proof; 
nor does their history extend beyond the general deluge. As to the 
chronological books of the Chinese, they are evidently full of falsi- 
ties. The PhoBnedans have no historian more ancient than Sancho- 
niatho^ who lived after Moses. The 'Egyptian history does not extend 
beyond Ham, the son of 'Noah ; and the books of the Jewish law- 
giver are not only the most ancient, but also the most authentic of 
all the monuments of antiquity. If the world were some thousands 
of years older, it must be much better peopled than it is at present. 
Population has always increased since the deluge, and yet there might 
be three times as many more inhabitants on the earth, than it at pre- 
sent contains. It has been computed that at least 5000 millions of 
men might live at once on our globe : and ^qI it does not appear, 
that there are really more than 1080 millions. In Asia, are reck- 
oned 650 millions : in Africa and America, 300 millions ; and in Eu- 
rope, 130 millions. 

If we consider the arts invented by men, we shall find that few or 
none of them have been discovered more than two or three thousand 
years. Man owes not only to his nature and reason the aptitude he 
has for acquiring arts and sciences, but he is also led to this by neces- 
sity; by the desire he has to procure himself conveniences and 
pleasures ; by vanity and ambition ; and by luxury, the child of 
abundance, which creates new wants. This propensity is evident 
among all men, in all ages. History carries us back to the time when 
men had scarcely invented the most necessary arts ; when those arts 
which were known were but very imperfectly understood ; and in 
which they scarcely knew any thing of the first principles of the 
sciences. 

About four thousand years ago, men were still in a state of great 
ignorance concerning most subjects ; and if we calculate according 
to the progress which they have made since that time, and afterward 
go back to the remotest periods, we may with tolerable exactness fix 
the era when men knew nothing : which is, in other words, that of 
the infancy of the human race. Were their existence to be carried 
higher, it is utterly improbable that the most useful and necessary 
arts should have continued unknown to them through such a long 
series of ages. On the contrary, all that can be discovered by the 

72 



570 DECEMBER II. 



Era of the Creation. 



human mind, must have been known a long time ago. From this 
circumstance, therefore, we must conclude, that the origin of the 
human race can have no other era than that which Moses has as- 
signed it in his history of the creation. Would it not be absurd to 
suppose, that men, during the course of so many thousand years, 
could have remained enveloped with the thickest darkness, and 
plunged in a sort of lethargy, from which they suddenly awoke, and 
began to invent arts to procure themselves the pleasures and conve- 
niences of life ? 

Another circumstance should be remarked here : almost all Eu- 
rope was formerly covered with immense forests : very few cities, 
towns, or villages being found in it. It is manifest that it must be 
better peopled now% than it was at that time. Germany, for instance, 
was then but one great forest : judge, therefore, what a desert it 
must have been ! At first, men could only sow vacant places which 
were found here and there in the forests : they had no separate pro- 
perty, and changed their place of residence every year. In all Ger- 
many there was not a single fruit tree. Acorns alone prevailed. If 
we wish to draw a parallel between ancient and modern Germany, 
we must first put aside the inhabitants of its cities and towns ; pay atf 
tention to the numerous colonies which Germany has sent to other 
countries ; observe, that most of the forests being now cut down, and 
converted into arable ground, ancient Germany could scarcely have 
had one tenth part of the cultivated ground which it at present con- 
tains : and, consequently, could have had but one tenth part of itspre-- 
sent number of inhabitants. How many millions less of men at that 
time, than now ! And how abundantly must they have been multi- 
plied since I And yet, the forests which extend from Germany to 
the north-east of Asia, and those that remain still in Africa and Ameri- 
ca, prove that the earth is not as well peopled as it might be. The 
further we go back into antiquity, the less we shall find the world 
peopled, and the earth cultivated : till we arrive at the epoch of the 
birth of the human race. It is therefore impossible, that our globe 
should have been eternal ; for, had it been so, it must have been as 
well peopled from time immemorial, as it is at present. 

All these considerations lead us to him, who is the Creator of the 
heavens and the earth. From him, the world and its inhabitants, de- 
rive their being. All things were made by him, and he was, before 
worlds of creatures existed ; and shall be eternally the same, vvhen 
new worlds and new earths shall be produced. And shall we not 
also live for ever ! Delightful and transporting thought ! When 
the heavens shall pass away, I shall remain! And while eternity 
rolls on. I shall be found in the realms of beatitude ! 



DECEMBER IIT. 571 



utility of different kinds of timber. 



DECEMBER III. 

THE UTILITY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TIMBER. 

However great and numerous the advantages may be which we 
derive from every part of a tree, yet there is none that can be com- 
pared with that which the wood itself affords us. It grows in such 
abundance that we may justly say, God every day provides a new 
supply, that we might never be destitute of so useful a substance. 
It answers every end we wish to accomplish by it. It is pliant 
enough to take every sort of form we desire ; and rigid enough to 
keep that form we have given : and as it is easily sawed, bent, and 
polished, it furnishes us with many utensils, conveniences, and orna- 
ments. 

But these are far from being the most important advantages, as the 
greater part relate only to purposes of convenience and luxury : we 
have wants of a more pressing nature, which we could not supply, 
had not wood a proper degree of thickness and solidity. Nature, it 
is true, supplies us with a great many heavy and compact bodies ; we 
have common stone and marble, which we may apply to various uses , 
but it is so difficult to raise them out of their quarries, to drag, and 
hew them, that they become very expensive ; whereas we can with 
much less trouble and cost, procure the largest trees. Wooden piles, 
from sixty to ninety feet long, sunk down in the earth, make a sure 
foundation for walls which, without this precaution, would sink into 
the clay, or tumble down where the foundation was sandy. These 
piles, forcibly driven down and made firm, constitute a forest of im- 
movable and incorruptible trees, which support the most heavy and 
extensive buildings ; other pieces support the stone-work, and all the 
weight of tiles, lead, &c., which form the roofs of our houses. 

Wood is also a preservative of life, as it is with many the principal 
fuel ; without which they could neither preserve life, nor supply one 
half of their necessities. It is true, that the sun is the soul of nature : 
but, it is impossible for us so to collect his rays, as to dress our food, 
or melt our metals. Fire-wood, in some measure, supplies the place 
of the sun ; and the regulation of the degrees of heat depend on our 
own choice. The long nights of winter, the cold mists, and the north 
wind, would freeze our blood were we deprived of the comfortable heat 
produced by wood. How necessary then is wood ; and was it not 
for the wisest purposes that the Creator of the world has covered so 
great a part of the earth's surface with forests ? 

But do we consider wood in its various uses, as a blessing from 
God ? Have we properly reflected on the benefits we derive from 
it, and acknowledged that they contribute much to our well-being ? 
Or, because these blessings are so common, have we not considered 
them as of little importance? It is true, that we can get wood 
more easily than gold or diamonds : but, is it, on this account, a less 



572 DECEMBER III. 



Utility of different Icinds of timber. 



peculiar blessing of Providence ? Are we under less obligations to 
return thanks to God for it : or is it not this very abundance, and the 
ease with which it is acquired, which should excite us so much the 
more to magnify the Creator for this precious gift ; the quantity of 
which is proportioned to our necessities? These reflections may 
become a fruitful source of thanksgiving, if we only accustom ourselves 
to indulge them in a lively serious manner. The winter would fur- 
nish us with many blessed exercises of piety, were it our delight to 
meditate on the mercies of God ; and especially on those which he 
grants us at this season. While reflecting on the warmth which wood 
affords us in countries where pit coal is not to be found, would it not 
be natural to expect that we should thus address ourselves to God ? 
*' Compassionate Father ! This also is one of thy blessings : I receive 
it from thy hand with a lively sense of gratitude ; and I acknowledge 
tbiy providential care in this gentle w^armth, by which my frozen 
limbs are invigorated. Whether I feel the scorching rays of summer 
or the piercing cold of winter ; whether I breathe in the open air, or 
in a warm apartment, thou always showiest thyself my benefactor. 0, 
let me not forget any of thy mercies ! And as, in each season of the 
year, I receive peculiar marks of thy goodness, may I glorify and bless 
thee at all times ! Let me never consider even fire- wood with indif- 
ference ; but may the use which I make of it be a constant motive to 
induce me to exalt thy goodness !" These devout reflections are so 
far from being unnatural, that it would be utterly inconsistent, both 
with religion and reason, were they not frequently cultivated in our 
minds. 



DECEMBER IV. 

REMARKABLE PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN ANIMALS. 

We daily enjoy a variety of advantages which we derive from cer- 
tain animals. The Creator has given us some to live in a state of 
society with us, and others to nourish us : and all are designed, in one 
way or other, to minister to our necessities or pleasures. 

The dog is far from being a despicable animal. Independently of 
the beauty of his form, his vivacity, strength, and swiftness, he has 
all those internal qualities, which may attract the notice of man. He 
possesses exquisitely tender feelings, which education still improves, 
and which render him worthy of being a companion for man. He 
knows how to promote his designs, watch for his safety, defend and 
flatter him by turns, and by assiduous services, and repeated caresses, 
render himself pleasing to his master. Without the assistance of this 
faithful domestic, man could not so easily vanquish and tame the 
other animals. In a word, it seems as if God had given the dog to 
man, to serve as a companion, a help, and a guard. This very inte- 
resting animal merits our attention in other respects, and particularly 



DECEMBER IV. 573 



Remarkable properties of certain animals. 



in this, that he performs several actions, which prove he is not a sim- 
ple machine : but, that he possesses a self-moving- principle. How ex- 
pressive are the signs by which he manifests his joy at his master's 
return I But, these signs are widely different from those which he 
discovers when he sees a thief, or a wolf; or when he is pursuing 
a hare. What cautions ardour, what cunning and prudence, do we 
observe in all his motions ! 

The advantages which we derive from the sheep, are still more 
considerable, although it has not the gift of pleasing like the dog. 
Eveiy part of the sheep is useful ; its milk, wool, flesh, and even its 
bones. What is most remarkable in this animal is, that it ruminates, 
or chews the cud. As it swallows its food hastily, without sufHcently 
chewing it, it can bring it up again, rechew and swallow it a second 
time. The cause of this is, its having but one row of teeth : but, this 
defect is compensated by the multiplicity of its stomachs. Of these, 
the sheep has /o^^r. In the first, which is called the paunch, and is 
very large, the food, which is raw, and almost whole, is a little mois- 
tened. The second, which is named the cup, or hood, is much small- 
er ; in it, the food is better macerated, and digestion begins to make 
some progress. From this it passes into the third stomach, called 
the leaf, or folds ; in this it continues till it is properly soaked and 
dissolved ; for, this intestine is composed of many folds, or leaves, 
which permit nothing to pass but what is fluid. Finally the digestion 
is perfected in the fourth stomach, which is called the reiinethag ; 
in this the food changes its colour, and becomes as white as milk ; 
though in the third stomach it was quite green. 

The hare is neither destitute of instinct to provide for its own 
support, nor sagacity to escape from its enemies. It makes its own 
form, or bed ; and in winter chooses those places which are exposed 
to the south ; and in summer the north. In order to hide itself, it 
squats in furrows, between hillocks ; which are nearely the colour of 
its own fur. When it is hunted, it runs for a while rapidly forward ; 
then it returns on its own steps, throws itsejf into bye-paths, and 
after many leaps and doublings, hides itself in the trunk of a tree, or 
in a bush, It has cunning enough to change the place of its residence 
continually, according to circumstances. 

The stag has more cunning and subtlety even than the hare ; and 
gives still more trouble to the huntsman. Its elegant light form, its 
slender, well proportioned shape, its branching horns, which serve it, 
more for ornament than defence ; its size, swiftness, and strength, 
distinguish it from all the inhabitants of the woods : and it seems to 
have been made to embellish and enliven the solitude of the forests. 

When we reflect on these, and innumerable other animals, we 
must acknowledge more and more, with what goodness the Lord has 
provided for our support, convenience, and pleasure. Our globe is the 
habitation of a multitude of creatures, which are, in general, subjected 
to man, and exist only for his service. And if the soil is so diversi- 
fied, it is that a greater number of living creatures may find aliments 



574 DECEMBER IV. 



Remarkable properties of certain animals. 



suited to their respective natures. Are not all kinds of soils, the 
good and the bad, the sandy and the marshy, the rocky and the clayey, 
from the banks of the rivers to the tops of the mountains, stocked 
with animals, which are in one way or other useful to man ? Fowls 
are fed with the fragments from our tables, from which we derive 
great advantages. The delicate flesh of pigeons pays us with interest 
for the expense we are at in procuring them convenient and safe re- 
treats. Swans free our ponds from a multitude of plants which would 
corrupt there. Hosts of ducks and geese yield their feathers to us for 
beds : and they only ask, as a return for their spoils, a little poor 
food, and a pond where they may wash, play, dive, and seek for 
worms. 

In a word, there is no place, how parched or barren soever it may 
be, but produces various animals, which are useful to man. Can we 
then forget the riches of the Divine goodness ? The sight alone of 
the animals which have been created for our use is sufficient to make 
us blush with confusion. Let us not receive these benefits with an 
insensible heart. In all gifts of nature, let us taste and see that God 
is good ; and ever use his mercies with a heart penetrated with gra- 
titude. " The earth presents itself to our eyes as the domain which 
thou hast assigned us ; every surrounding object of which was made 
for our use ! Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the 
son of man, that thou carest for him ? Though he be a little lower 
than the angels, yet he is thy child. Thou makest him a partaker of 
thy happiness ; thou crownest him with glory and honour ; thou hast 
put all things under his sway ; and the whole creation honours, and 
ackowledges him for its monarch. The fierce bull whose bellow- 
ings are heard from afar ; the gentle sheep, the wild beasts which 
traverse and adorn our forests ; the fowls which people the air ; and 
the shoals of fish which fill the rivers and the sea ; all are obedient 
to his will; and all were created for his use." 



DECEMBER V. 

THE FORMATION OF SNOW. 

Snow is a species of hoarfrost, diflferent only in this, that the hoar- 
frost falls in the form of dew on the surface of certain cold bodies, 
which attract its humidity, and to which it remains fixed ; whereas 
snow is formed, before it falls, by congealed vapours in the middle re- 
gion of the air ; which vapours follow the same laws in falling, as 
fogs, dew, and rain. The air is often excessively cold ; and this cold 
may sometimes be considerably increased by the density of the at- 
mosphere, and by the accession of nitrous vapours. It is therefore easy 
to comprehend how the aqueous particles become congealed. But 
what contributes perhaps more than any other thing to give that freez- 
ing property to the air, are the clouds : for, in general, every snowy 



DECEMBER V. 575 



Formation of snow. 



day is a cloudy one ; now the denser the clouds are, the more they 
intercept the sun's rays, and prevent their action. In consequence of 
this the cold may become intense enough to cause the vapours to lose 
their fluidity, and convert them into snow. But, from the same reason 
should we not sometimes have snow in summer ? It may undoubtedly 
happen that even in the midst of summer, snow may be formed in the 
higher regions of the atmosphere. But it is never sufficiently cold, 
in this season so as to prevent the icy particles from melting in their 
passage through the lower regions of the air : therefore they cannot 
appear to us under the form of snow. But, this is not the case in 
winter ; as it is then very cold, even in the lower regions of the atmos- 
phere, and on the earth's surface ; and, as the congealed vapours can- 
not receive, in their fall, sufficient warmth to melt them, they continue 
to preserve their snowy form. 

The shape of the flakes is very remarkable. They generally re- 
semble little stars of six equal rays. It is difficult to assign a reason 
for this regular figure. Perhaps the cause ought to be sought for in 
the saline particles which float in the air ; and which, becoming united 
to the snow, cause it to crystallize : and then the congealed vapours 
assembling round these saline particles, which serve them as a sort 
of nucleus, they assume the hexagonal form. When the lower air is 
very cold, these little stars fall separately ; but when the air is more 
temperate or moist, they melt a little, and, coming into contact, freeze 
together and thus form flakes of different sizes, according to the 
number of stars which happen to meet together. This is the rea- 
son why the snow never falls in large flakes,* when the cold is in- 
tense. 

An attentive observer cannot help admiring the Divine power and 
wisdom when he considers that the most exact proportions, and the 
most perfect regularity, are attended to, even in the formation of the 
particles of snow ! How great would our surprise be were we to see 
them for the first time, and be told that this brilliant meteor was 
owing to some vapours in the atmosphere ! How suddenly does that 
snow, with which we are encompassed, fall without our having fore- 
seen it ! What a multitude of flakes fall from the atmosphere, throng 
one another, and in a few minutes cover the ground I While this 
presents a pleasing object to the eye, and abundant matter of reflection 
to the mind, it is well calculated to justify what the pious Brookeshas 
said, " Frost and snow have their charms ; and the winter its sweets. 
Pure and innocent pleasure can never be unknown, except to those 
stupid men who reflect upon nothing : and pay no attention to the 
works of the Lord." 



576 DECEMBER VL 



Winter plants. 



DECEMBER VI. 

WINTER PLANTS. 

It is a mistaken opinion that winter is, in general, destructive to 
plants and trees. On the contrary, it is certain that the variations of 
heat and cold contribute much to the propagation and increase of ve- 
getables. In warm climates, there are immense deserts, which would 
be still more barren if cold did not succeed to the burning heats. 
The winter far from being prejudicial to the fertility of the earth, 
favours and increases it. Cold countries have (notwithstanding their 
snows and frosts,) plants which thrive well. A great many trees, as 
for example, the fir^ the pme, the juriiper, the cedar, the box, and the 
larch, grow as well in winter as in other seasons ; and this was neces- 
sary, that the forests might furnish us with a sufficiency of wood and 
fruit. House-leek, stone, fern, sage, marjoram, thyme, lavender, dwarf 
wormwood, and other similar plants, preserve their verdure during 
the winter. There are also certain flowers, which grow under the 
snow. The single anemone, the early hellebore, the cowslip, the prim- 
rose the winter hyacinth, the narcissus, the snow-drop, and all sorts of 
mosses grow green, and flourish in the cold. Botanists assure us, that 
the plants of the frigid zone, if put in a greenhouse, cannot bear a 
heat of more than 38 degrees : that they bear the cold so well that 
they grow in Sweden during the winter ; as well as in most parts of 
France, Germany, Russia, and the northern parts of China. Vegeta- 
bles of excessively cold climates cannot resist the heat : nor can those 
which grow on the tops of very high mountains in any country. 
Mountains and rocks, whose tops are covered with snow during the 
whole year, are not without their peculiar plants. On the rocks of 
ha'pland, many of those vegetables grow which are found on the Alps 
and Pyrenees ; on Moimt Olympus, and in Spitzbergen, but no where 
else. When they are planted in a garden, they grow very tall; but 
bear little fruit. Few of the plants, which thrive best in the northern 
countries, can come to any perfection without snow. 

Thus, in the vast garden of nature, there is no soil which is en- 
tirely barren. From the finest mould, to the hardest rocks ; from the 
warmest countries under the line, to the coldest climates of the north 
pole, there is no kind of soil, but what produces plants peculiar to 
itself. And there is no season absolutely without flowers and fruit. 

Merciful Creator ! Permit us not, even in this severe season, to 
forget thy paternal care ; and let us not close our eyes to the bless- 
ings which thou hast so liberally bestowed upon us ! Were we as 
attentive as we should be to the government of thy Divine providence, 
we should at all times, and in all places, find motives suflicient to in- 
duce us to remember with gratitude, the wisdom and goodness of thy 
conduct toward us. Nature is never either idle or barren. In all 
seasons it continues its labour : grant, gracious God, that it may be 



DECEMBER VI. 577 



Winter plants. 



the same with us, in every stage of life ! And should we be permit- 
ted to^arrive at old age, let us neither be unfruitful, nor uninstructive 
to the world.' 



DECEMBER VII. 

AN EXHORTATION TO REMEMBER THE POOR DURING THE SEVERITY OF THE 

WINTER. 

You who are sitting quietly in convenient and comfortable apart- 
ments, who hear the keen north wind whistle round your dwellings, re- 
flect on the state of many of your unhappy fellow creatures, who are 
at present suffering the utmost severity of cold and poverty. " Happy 
they, who in this rigorous season have a house to shelter them, clothes 
to keep them warm, wholesome bread, and the fruit of the vine to 
cheer and strengthen them ; and a soft and comfortable bed, on which 
they may rest, and enjoy pleasing dreams. But, unhappy the poor 
man, to whom adversity refuses the necessary shelter; without cloth- 
ing to keep him from the cold ; often extended on a bed of sorrows, 
and too modest to make his necessities known." How deeply should 
we feel the misery of such people ! Let us attend to those objects of 
compassion who come to our doors : how many are feebly crawling 
through the streets, tormented with hunger and cold ! How many 
old people, with scarcely enough to cover their shivering limbs, expos- 
ing themselves for hours together to all the inclemency of the season^ 
in order to solicit the smallest donation from those who pass by ! How 
many sick people are there without food or medicine ; lying on beds 
of straw, in miserable cabins, cellars, and garrets, where the wind, 
the cold, and the snow, are their principal visitants ! 

Winter renders charity to the poor still more necessary, becausCj 
in this season, their wants are increased. Is not this the time, when 
even nature itself is impoverished ? And will it not add a double va* 
lue to our benefactions, to distribute them seasonably? If the sum- 
mer and autumn have enriched us with their produce, is it not that 
we might share these blessings with our brethren, now that nature is 
at rest ? The more the cold increases, the more we should be dis- 
posed to relieve the necessitous ; to pour into the bosom of the indi- 
gent a part of the surplus which we have amassed. What other in- 
tention could Divine Providence have in its unequal distribution of* 
worldly good, but to put it into the power of the affluent to feel for, 
and relieve the necessities of their fellow-creatures ? 

Let us have pity therefore upon the poor : and not permit them to 
suffer even more than the brutes do ! It is our duty to mitigate theif 
sufferings : Providence has condescended to grant us that honouir. 
Let the rich understand that it is their duty and privilege to feed, 
clothe, warm, and cherish the distressed r to support them in their 

73 



578 DECEMBER VII. 



An exhortation to remember the poor during the winter. 



sufferings, and to snatch them from death. Let those who have abun- 
dance, share of that abundance : and let those who have but little, 
give of that little. One can scarcely be so poor as not to be able to 
do some good. Let us taste the sweetest satisfaction that a noble 
mind can feel : the divine pleasure of providing for the necessities of 
the poor ; of sweetening to them the rigours of winter, and lessening 
the pressure of adversity. Who can withhold from himself the con- 
solation of relieving the wants of the destitute which in so many 
cases, may be so easily effected ? We need only retract a few of ouf 
expenses in food, raiment, and pleasures. What a blessed offering 
would this be to God, were our beneficence to be accompanied with a 
victory over our passions, in retrenching the expense occasioned by 
luxury and vanity, in order to apply it to the relief of the poor ! 

Let each strive, during these winter days, to relieve, as far as he 
possibly can, the misery of his fellow creatures. Let our comforts 
and conveniences cause us often to think of those who are destitute of 
the greater part of the sweets of life. In comparing our situation 
with that of others, we shall feel more powerfully our own happiness, 
and bless God with redoubled fervour for the great comfort we enjoy. 
Then, if the charitable disposition of our heart be not depraved 
by the world, or corrupted by passion, we shall be led to make as 
many happy as we possibly can ; and to alleviate those ills which we 
cannot entirely cure. We should frequently ask ourselves : What 
are the comforts which we desire, in this inclement season ? They 
o.re the very same which we should, if possible, procure for our 
indigent brethren. Do we know any who have not sufficient clothing 
to preserve them from the cold : if so, should we not employ that 
part of our garments which only minister to luxury or pride, to 
clothe, or procure clothing for them ? Do we sleep on a comfortable 
bed, while so many of our fellow creatures are without any ? Should 
we not then be willing to lie less comfortably, in order to procure 
the restless and destitute some refreshing sleep ? Do we feel the 
cheering warmth of a comfortable dwelling ? Why then should so 
many others shiver with cold ? Should we not make use of the most 
effectual and speedy means in our power to alleviate their distresses, 
and to sweeten the bitterness of their lot ? 



DECEMBER VIII. 

NATURE IS A SCHOOL FOR THE HEART. 

In every respect the study of nature is profitable ; with propriety it 
may be called a school fo?' the heart ; seeing it, in a certain sense, teaches 
us the duty we owe to God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves. 

Can any thing inspire a deeper veneration for the Supreme Being, 
than the reflection, that it is he who ha^ not only formed the globe of 



DECEMBER Vlft. S79 



Nature is a school for the heart. 



the earth out of nothing, and suspended it in the empty space, with all 
the creatures it contains : but whose mighty hand also confines the 
sun in his place, and the sea within its shores : can we humble our- 
selves too much, in the presence of that Being who has created the 
innumerable worlds which roll above our heads ? What despicable 
creatures are we, when compared with those immense globes I And 
how mean does the earth, and all its glory appear, when considered in 
this point of view! Should we not shudder at the bare thought of 
offending this God, whose unbounded power every moment meets our 
eyes ; and who can, wnth one look, destroy or render uk the most 
miserable of all his creatures ? But the contemplation of nature is 
also blessedly calculated to fill us with love and gratitude to its Au- 
thor. All nature, with a loud voice, proclaims this consolatory 
truth — God is Love. It was this love that induced God to manifest 
his glory in the creation of the world, and to communicate to other 
beings a portion of that felicity which himself enjoyed. On this ac- 
count he created the universe, and an innumerable multitude of beings, 
that all, from the archangel to the worm, might prove, according to 
its nature and capacity, and might feel the effects of the Divine good- 
ness. Is there a creature which does not exhibit proofs of this ama- 
zing goodness ? 

But we ourselves are particularly instances of it : the Creator 
has endued us with reason, not only to enable us to enjoy his bene- 
fits, but to acknowledge and feel that love with which he has honour- 
ed us ; and which infinitely increases the value of all his blessings. 
He has decreed that man should rule over the animals, and make 
thern subservient to his wants and conveniences. It is for us the 
earth produces fruit in such abundance. From him we receive those 
innumerable daily benefits, to which we owe the continuance of our 
lives. His love is disinterested : for, he can receive nothing from his 
creatures : his felicity can admit of no increase. Can these consi- 
derations fail to affect us, to excite our gratitude, and to engage us to 
return love for love to our beneficent Creator ? Lastly, the contem- 
plation of the universe, and the perfections of God, which are mani- 
fested in it with so much splendour, should naturally increase our 
confidence in him. How great should our tranquillity be, when we 
consider that our lot is in the hands of that Being, of whose power, 
wisdom, and goodness, we have as many proofs as we have creatures 
before our eyes ? Can there happen any perplexity, embarrassment, 
or danger, from which we cannot be delivered by the hands of hint 
who stretched out the heavens, and formed all his creatures in so 
admirable a manner? And need any thing prevent us from having" 
recourse to him in all our necessities and tribulations; with the full 
assurance that he will hear our prayers ? 

Is it possible for mean and selfish sentiments to lodge in the heart 
.of that man, who, in contemplating nature, discovers every where 
footsteps of the infinite beneficence of that Great Being, who does 
not propose less the particular happiness of each individual, than the 



580 DECEMBER VIII. 



Nature is a school for the heart. 



general good of the universe ? Even a superficial contemplation of 
the ways of Providence must deeply impress the mind with a sense 
of the goodness of God, and his tender concern for all that exists. 
And that heart must be extremely depraved which, under a convic- 
tion of this universal beneficence of the Creator, is not inspired with 
the determination to imitate him. Should we not, according to the 
Divine example, feel sincere good-will to all his creatures ? " God 
causeth his sun to rise on the evil and the good ; and sendeth his rain 
on the just and the unjust." Can we then exclude any from our 
charity ; or be partial in the distribution of its effects ? God loves 
the little as well as the great ; the poor as well as the rich ; and he 
does good invariably to all. If, therefore, we wish to imitate our 
heavenly Father, should we not endeavour to get a love as general 
and disinterested lighted up in our hearts ? 

Finally, when we contemplate the admirable order and harmony 
which reign through all nature, should we not be led to pray that the 
dispositions of our minds might resemble it ? If we be well convin- 
ced that nothing can please God, which is not according to order ; 
should we not apply ourselves, with all our power, to be conformed 
to his will ? How despicable should we be, even in eur own eyes, if 
through our fault we produce any derangement in the admirable plan 
of nature ! God wills our perfection : should we not feel ourselves 
obliged to be conformed to his merciful designs ; and in order to this, 
make a proper use of every mean which nature and grace have 
afforded us? This should henceforth be our great, our principal 
occupation. As often as we discover any irregularity in our hearts, 
or ways, we should incessantly labour to have it corrected, and thus 
be workers together with the saving influences of the spirit of God. 

Thus nature may become an excellent school for the heart. 
Should we not be attentive to its instructions ; and profit by them iri 
a teachable spirit ? Here we may learn true wisdom, that wisdom 
which is never accompanied with disgust, or irksomeness : we may 
learn to know God, and find, in this blessed knowledge, the foretastes 
of paradise. Thus our days may pass sweetly away, till we are in- 
troduced into that world where we shall no longer be confined to the 
first rudiments of science ; but where our knowledge and holiness 
shall be more and more perfect through all eternity. 

Note—The above may do very well in its place ; but without the assistance of Divine 
Revelation, no man can thoroughly know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he 
has sent : whom to know, as the Scripture has revealed him, is life everlasting.—^. C. 



DECEMBER IX. 581 



Divine goodness manifested in things apparently hurtful. 



DECEMBER IX. 

THE DIVINE GOODNESS MANIFESTED TO US, EVEN IN THINGS WHICH 
APPEAR HURTFUL. 

Most people wish that they were not exposed to any evil in this 
world. If they had their choice and could dispose their lot at 
pleasure, they would endeavour to secure to themselves a life ex- 
empt from all kinds of trouble and affliction. But, is it really true 
that we should certainly be happy, if nothing happened to disturb 
our worldly prosperity and repose ; and that we should, during the 
course of our lives, be exempt from all disagreeable occurrences ? 
This question, on the decision of which our happiness here below so 
materially depends, deserves to be examined with care ; at the same 
time guarding, as much as possible, against the illusions of self-love. 

Should we be really happy, were we to enjoy uninterrupted pros- 
perity in this world V I think not. Constant prosperity would soon 
grow insipid : and disgust would change our felicity into real misery. 
On the contrary, the evils which we sometimes suffer, enhance the 
value of our blessings, as colours are relieved and set off by shades. 
Were<there no winter, would we be so affected as we are by the 
charms of spring ? Can we know the value of health, without sick- 
ness ; the sweets of rest, without the pains of labour ; the peace 
and consolations of a good conscience, if we had never been tempted 
and tried ? The more obstacles are opposed to our happiness, the 
greater is our joy, when we have been enabled to surmount them. 
The heavier our calamities are, the more happy we feel when de- 
livered from them : and the satisfaction which, in such cases, we 
often fee], makes us shed tears of joy. Besides,, if the afflictions of 
which we complain did not happen, we should certainly be exposed 
to incomparably greater evils. If all our days were prosperous, we 
should soon be lost in pride, luxury, and ambition. If we were 
never pressed by want, none would take the trouble of being active 
and laborious in his vocation. None would exercise his talents, or 
cultivate his mind; and none would be animated with zdal for the 
public good. 

If we were never exposed to danger, how should we become pru- 
dent ; and how could we learn to feel for those whose lives are ex- 
posed to danger ? Had we no ills to apprehend, intoxicated with 
prosperity, we should easily forget gratitude to God, charity to our 
neighbour, and all our duties in general. Are not then these virtues, 
these mental accomplishments, a thousand times preferable to a con- 
tinual train of agreeable sensations from outward prosperity, which 
would soon appear dull and insipid, because uninterruptedly enjoyed. 
*' He who always reposes in the lap of prosperity, soon becomes 
backward to all good; and incapable of performing any great action: 
but let him feel the strokes of adversity, and he will return to wis- 
dom, activitv, and virtue." 



582 DECEMBER IX. 



Divine goodness manifested in things apparently hurtful. 

How unjust and inconsistent are the desires of men ! They wish 
to live quiet, contented, and happy ; and are discontented with the 
means which lead to the accomplishment of their own desires ! In 
the heats of summer, we pant for the refreshing breeze ; and yet we 
are displeased with the storm that cools and refreshes the air. Thun- 
der purifies the atmosphere, and renders the earth fruitful ; yet we 
complain that the flashes of lightning terrify our minds. We acknow- 
ledge the use of coal, sulphur, minerals, and warm baths ; but we do 
not like earthquakes. We wish that there were no contagious, no 
epidemic disorders, and yet we complain of those tempests which 
prevent that corruption of the air which produces thern. We wish 
to have servants ; and yet we desire that there should be neither 
poverty, nor an inequality of station in the world. In a word, we 
wish to have every end accomplished, without the use of the means 
which lead to it. 

Acknowledge, O man, the wise and beneficent designs of thy God ; 
even when he permits thee to feel the frequent vicissitudes of joy 
and sorrow, of prosperity and adversity. Is he not the Arbiter of 
our lot — the Master who can punish or reward — the Father, from 
whose tender love even our chastisements themselves must come ? 
Are we not in a world, one peculiar characteristic of which is to be 
subject to continual changes and revolutions ? Have we not often 
found, in the course of our life, that what our ignorance considered 
as an evil, really contributed to our true happiness ? Let us, there- 
fore, receive with meekness from the hand of God, those afflictions 
which he thinks proper to dispense. They appear dreadful only in 
their beginnings : but the more we are exercised by them, the more 
supportable we shall find them, and experience their most salutary ef- 
fects. If, in adversity, we have faith and patience, we shall, in the 
end, be enabled to bless God for the afflictions he has sent us. How- 
ever it may be, we shall certainly bless him in eternity for all our 
sufferings. There, we shall form a different judgment of the 
troubles we have passed through here below. We shall then see, 
that without the afflictions of which we now complain, we should 
never have arrived at that state of felicity which God has designed 
for us. " There, our complaints and our sorrows shall cease for 
ever. There, transported with gratitude and joy, we shall offer 
songs of praise and thanksgiving to God, for all the afflictions we 
have patiently suffered here below. There, we shall exclaim in 
holy ecstacy — All is finished, all is well ! God has done all things 
in infinite goodness and mercy." 



DECEMBER X. 583 



Casual revolutions In our globe. 



DECEMBER X. 

Casual revolutions in our globe. 

Nature, of itself, is continually producing changes on the surface 
of the earth, which have a great influence on the whole globe. Many- 
ancient monuments prove, that in various places its surface sinks 
down at some times suddenly, at others gradually. The wall built 
by the Romans, in the second century, between the river Forth and 
the river Clyde^ across Scotland, is at present almost entirely buried 
under ground ; remains of which are daily discovered. Mountains, 
those pillars of the earth, are exposed to similar ruin; occasioned 
sometimes by the nature of the soil ; at other times by water, which 
saps their foundations ; and lastly by subterranean fires. But, if some 
parts of the globe sink down, others, on the contrary, become more 
elevated. A fruitful valley at the end of a century may be con- 
verted into a marsh, where clay, turf, and ether substances, form 
layers upon each other. Lakes and gulfs are converted into dry 
land. In stagnant waters, rushes, weeds, and difierent plants grow : 
animal and vegetable substances putrefy in them ; and gradually form 
a kind of mud and mould ; and the bottom rises up so that solid 
earth takes the place of water. 

Subterraneous fires also produce great changes on our globe. 
The effects are perceived by three different commotions, which are 
generally felt separately; but which sometimes come all together. 
The first consists in a horizontal motion, forward and backward. 
When these oscillations are violent and unequal, they throw down 
buildings, and change the surface of the ground. This kind of undu- 
latory motion may be easily discerned in the w^ater. There are 
other earthquakes, called shocks, or tossings. These sometimes cause 
new islands to arise suddenly from the bottom of the sea. The 
outward crust of the earth being violently pushed up, falls down lower 
than before,' breaks into chasms, and thus forms lakes, marshes, and 
springs. Lastly, there are explosions similar to those of mines, accom- 
panied with inflammable matter. These violent shocks and convul^ 
sions often cause great devastations ; and make considerable changes on 
the surface of our planet. The outward crust of the earth cleaves in 
different places ; sinks on one hand, and rises on the other. The sea 
partakes of these commotions: but the most sensible effect which we 
perceive in it, is the formation of new islands. They are produced 
by the elevation of the bottom of the sea; or, are composed of pumice- 
stones, calcined rocks, or other matters projected from volcanos. His- 
tory informs us, that through earthquakes produced by subterranean 
fires, whole cities have been swallowed up, and buried sixty feet deep ;, 
so that the earth that covered them, became afterward arable ground. 

]\Jany other alterations produced on our globe, have been occa- 
sioned by the motion of waters. Heavy rains soak into the moun- 



584 DECEMBER X. 



Casual revolutions in our globe. 



tains, and wash away a great deal of earth ; which being swept down 
into rivers, and into the sea, raise the bottom of them considerably. 
Rivers also change their course : coasts themselves are sometimes dis- 
placed. Sometimes the sea retires, and leaves whole countries dry, 
which were before its bed : at other times it gains on the land, and 
whole districts are inundated. Places which were formerly contiguous 
to the sea, are now a great distance from it. Anchors, and cast iron 
rings to moor vessels, and the remains of ships which are found on 
the mountains and marshes, at a great distance from the sea, incon- 
testably prove, that many places formerly covered by the sea are, at 
present, solid land. There is every appearance that England was 
once joined to France : the beds of earth and stone which are the 
same on each side of the strait between Dover and Calais, and the 
shallowness of the sea between those two places, seem strong indica- 
tions of this. Climates also produce great alterations on the globe. 
Between the tropics, the heats and rains are alternate. In some places 
it rains for several months together ; and at other times the heat is 
excessive. The countries in the vicinity of the pole, undergo great 
changes through the intenseness of the cold. In autumn the water 
penetrates through a multitude of little crevices in the rocks and 
mountains : there it freezes in winter, and the ice dilating and bursting, 
makes great havoc. 

Such revolutions, produced by accidental causes, are palpable 
proofs of the frailty of the earth itself. They prove also that God 
is not an idle spectator of the alterations which take place on our 
globe; but that he has arranged, and continues to direct every thing 
according to infinitely wise laws. Hence we may also learn, that all 
beings here below are subject to continual vicissitudes. We see 
even, that frequent accidental revolutions cause not only the inani- 
mate, but all the animate world to assume a new appearance. One 
generation disappears, and gives place to another. Some rise to 
dignities and honours, while others fall into misery and contempt. 
There are continual changes and migrations among the different crea- 
tures : and various gradations in their condition and faculties. God 
has allotted to all beings different periods of duration : some are ap- 
pointed to a short and momentary existence, others to a long life, and 
others to an endless duration. In all this, how evidently do the wis- 
dom, power, and goodness of the Creator shine forth ! 



DECEMBER XI. 

GRATITUDE FOR OUR CLOTHING. 

Providence manifests itself even in our clothing. How many 
animals give us their hair, wool, fur, or skins, to cover us ! The 
sheep alone with its wool, furnishes the most necessary part of our 
dress : and it is to the valuable labours of a worm that we owe our 
silks. How many plants also serve for the same purpose. Hemp 



DECEMBER XL 5S5 



Gratitude for our clothing. 



and flax furnish us with linen : and many different stuffs are made 
out of cotton. But these vast stores of nature would not have been 
sufficient, had not God endowed man with industry, and an inexhaus- 
tible fund of invention ; and given him hands capable of preparing- 
clothing of different kinds. Let us only reflect on the labour requi- 
site to produce one piece of cloth, and we shall see that it demands 
the united exertions of a multitude of hands to prepare even a few 
yards. How little cause have we to be vain of our dress, seeing 
we arc obliged to have recourse to the most despicable animals for 
the materials out of which it is made ; and to that class of people, as 
workmen, which our pride despises the most. 

But, why has the Creator laid us under the necessity of providing 
for ourselves, while all other animals receive theirs immediately 
from nature? I answer: this obligation is very advantageous to us : 
on one hand, it is favourable to our health ; and on the other, it is 
suited to our manner of life. We can thus regulate our garments 
according to the different seasons of the year ; the climate where we 
live ; and particularly, according to the situation or profession we 
have chosen. Our garments promote insensible perspiration, so es- 
sential to the preservation of our life. The necessity of procuring 
them ourselves, exercises the mind, and gives birth to the invention 
of many arts : and lastly, the labour they require provides subsis- 
tence for a multitude of workmen. We have, therefore, the utmost 
reason to be satisfied with this arrangement of Providence. Let us 
only take care not to forget its design in furnishing us with clothing. 
A Christian should not seek his g-lory in the outward ornaments of 
his body, but in the virtuous dispositions of his soul. The proud 
person assumes a thousand different forms, and inwardly glories in 
the most frivolous advantages : attributes excellences to himself 
which he has not, or rates too highly those which he has. As to 
the outside, some show their pride in the splendour of silks, gold, 
and jewels ; whilst others nourish it under rags. The true Chris- 
tian avoids both these excesses. The first is supremely foolish : for 
it is degrading to human nature to seek glory in outward ornaments. 
We wear clothes to preserve our bodies from the intemperature of 
air ; a precaution which the weakness of man, since his fall, has ren- 
dered necessary, not only for health and decency, but also to distin- 
guish the sexes, and to establish those distinctions which are neces- 
sary in the different orders of society. These are the rational ends 
for which our garments have been designed, and we should use thern 
only for the fulfilment of these designs. 

Let us reflect a little on the state of many of our fellow creatures, 
who have scarcely clothes to cover them. Alas ! how many are 
there around us, who are but half clothed ; and in these severe win- 
ter days, can scarcely shelter themselves from the cold ! Let the 
sight of these miserable people cause us to have a lively sense of 
the Divine goodness, which has enabled us to provide ourselves 
with the necessary clothing. As many of those who may read this 

74 



586 DECEMBER XL 



Gratitude for our clothing. 



paper, may have clothing in abundance ; let them remember, that 
there are many very near them who can scarcely provide them- 
selves a single coat I Be unfeignedly thankful to God for the abun- 
dance he has given you. 

How should we bless our Preserver for the benefits, which, in this 
respect, we have received from his hands ? How many suits have we 
received, how many worn, and how many cast off, from our infant 
state, until now ! In this, also, how has God united the useful 
with the necessary, and the pleasing with the useful ! Let us 
return him thanks for his goodness : and beseech him so to instruct 
our hearts, that our clothing shall never render us guilty of pride and 
vanity ; that we may delight to clothe the poor, and learn how to unite 
kindness to humility, and avoid superfluities. Let us learn to get our 
souls adorned with holiness, seeing this alone, in the sight of the Lord, 
is of great price. By and by, a shroud shall be our last covering. 
May God grant, that at that time we may be found clothed with sal- 
vation, that an abundant entrance may be ministered unto us into the 
everlasting kingdom of our God and his Christ. 

" Yes, O Father, thou wilt provide ! Thou well knowest the ne- 
cessities of thy children. I will trust in thy goodness, O thou, who 
powerfully supportest the weak; my hope, Lord, is all in thee. 
Let my faith be increased, and my love perfected, day by day !" 



DECEMBER XII. 

THE CLOTHING OF ANIMALS. 

It is a wonderful proof of Divine Providence, that all animals 
should be naturally provided with coverings, the best suited to their 
several habitations and manner of life. Some are covered with 
hair ; others with feathers ; some with scales ; and others with shells. 
This variety is a sure proof, that a wise Artist has prepared the 
clothing of animals : as it is not only adapted, in general, .to the dif- 
ferent kinds, but appropriated also to each individual. Hair is the 
m-ost convenient clothing for quadrupeds. Nature, in giving it to 
them, has so formed the texture of their skin, that they can, with- 
out inconvenience, lie on the earth in all kinds of weather, and be 
employed in the service of man. The thick fur of some animals 
not only preserves them from wet and cold, but serves also to cover 
their young, and provide rhem with a soft bed. For fowls, and cer- 
tain insects, feathers arc the most convenient covering: for they not 
only protect them from cold and wet, but are so disposed as to sup- 
port them in the air. On this account they are spread over the 
whole body, and their delicate texture is peculiarly favourable to 
flight. They are light and hollow, and their tubes are fitted with a 
marrowy substance which strengthens them : and the capillary fila- 
ments, interwoven with so much art, render them thick enough to en- 



DECEMBER XII. 587 



The clothing of animals. 



dure the heat of the body, preserve them from the intemperature of 
the air, and give the wings a proper degree of strength. 

The clothing of reptiles is perfectly adapted to their manner of 
life. Observe, for instance, the earth worm. Its body is formed 
only of a series of little rings, and each ring is provided with a cer- 
tain number of muscles, by means of which, the body may be greatly 
extended or contracted. These creatures have a sort of glutinous 
juice under their skin, which is perspired, and covers the body with 
a gluey substance, which enables it to slip the better through the 
earth, which it could not do, w^ere it covered with hair, feathers, or 
scales. 

The substance which covers aquatic animals, is not less suited to 
the element they dwell in. Fish could not possibly have more con- 
venient clothing than scales ; the form, size, substance, number, and 
situation of w^hich, are perfectly adapted to the peculiar manner or 
life of these animals. Nor could shellfish be better clothed, or better 
lodged, than they are. 

That which is particularly remarkable here is, the beauty of these 
different coverings. The most deformed beasts, w^hose appearance 
is the most disagreeable, have, in this respect, their beauty. But, to 
the principal part of birds and insects, God has dispensed ornaments 
with the most liberal profusion. Let us only fix our attention on the 
hutterfiy ; its beauty must excite our surprise and admiration. Many 
of these animals have but simple clothing, and are all of one colour. 
Others are sparingly ornamented, and others shine with the greatest 
variety of the most splendid colours. How greatly has nature diver- 
sified the beauty and plumage of birds ! The little colihri, or hum- 
ming-bird, an inhabitant of America, is one of the wonders of nature; 
it is not larger than a great fly ; but the plumage is so beautiful, that 
its neck and wings resemble the rainbow. Its neck is of a bright 
ruby red : under the belly and wings it is as yellow as gold : the 
thighs are as green as an emerald ; and the feet and beak polished, 
and as black as ebony. The males have a little tuft on their heads, 
composed of all the colours which adorn the rest of the body: 
These are worn as pendants in the ears of the women of Mexico. 

It is impossible not to be convinced that God, in creating birds, 
had their conveniency, utility, and beauty, particularly in view. 
Every animal has that kind of dress which is most suitable ; and it 
would be imperfect, were it clothed in any other way. There is 
nothing wanting, and nothing superfluous : every thing is so well ar- 
ranged, and finished in such a masterly manner, that no human indus- 
try or skill can equal it. Does not all this demonstrate the existence 
of a Being who has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, 
joined with an unbounded goodness ; who has determined to render 
each creature as happy as is consistent with its nature, and the end 
for which he has formed it ? 



588 DECEMBER XHI. 



Thoughts on the ravages of winter. 



DECEMBER XIII. 

THOUGHTS ON THE RAVAGES OF WINTER. 

I HEAR the winds and tempests roar, and my blood freezes in my 
veins. The gloominess of the day ; its almost extinguished light ; a 
disposition in myself to terror and dismay; all concur to render the 
tumult and disorder which prevail in nature still more dreadful. 
How often does the wind overturn cottages, and even palaces ; and 
thus the labour of years is in an instant destroyed. How often have 
ships, and the unhappy persons who hazarded their lives on the brit- 
tle vessel, been precipitated into the yawning abyss I How often have 
the sturdy oaks been torn up from the roots ! 

. Yes, thou, O Lord, art the Author and Ruler of the storm : the 
north wind and the tempest are thy messengers, the heralds of thy 
power, and ministers of thy will. They should lead us to fear and 
adore thee. Didst thou not set bounds to their destructive power, 
they would every where, and at all tim^es, occasion the same devasta- 
tions. Yet the poor cottage, notwithstanding the violence of the 
storm, is still preserved : though unsheltered from the rude blast. 
Thanks be given to that powerful Being whose voice silences the 
winds and the waves. His wisdom has ordained all for the best. 

" But. if the world, and all events, are his work, and the effect of 
an infinite wisdom, how can confusion, desolation, and ruin, occasion- 
ed by tempests, be permitted to take place ? Can perfect wisdom 
produce any thing but order ? And can perfect goodness design any 
end, but what is good ?" Thus thou inquirest, man : but what art 
thou, to dispute with God ? Shall the creature say to his Creator, 
Why hast thou made me thus ? But does it follow, because we can- 
not comprehend and explain every thing, that there are any defects in 
the works of the Lord ? To be able to judge of his works, and the 
ends he has proposed, we must be equal to him in wisdom and un- 
derstanding. It is indeed a real miracle that we are capable of per- 
ceivino- even a little of the order which he has established ; of 
comprehending a part of the wise and extensive plan which he 
has executed ; and, considermg the darkness of our understanding, 
it is astonishing that things do not appear still more confusedly 
to us. Alas ! all would be disorder and confusion : order, harmony, 
and happiness, could not exist in the universe, were there not a 
Being whose wisdom, goodness, and power, infinitely surpassed our 
conceptions ; a Being, who has created the w^orld and all that it 
contains. All the light, goodness, and felicity which are found in 
the world, prove the wisdom and goodness of our Creator. And as 
the general arrangement, and ordinary course of nature, visibly tend 
only to the good of the creatures, whatever particular accidents 
may appear contradictory to this design, they prove only our igno- 
rance, and the limited state of our understanding. To make one whole 



DECEMBER XIII. 589 



Thoughts on the ravages of winter. 



out of all the materials of which the visible world is composed, where 
so many magnificent phenomena are produced ; where the various 
beauties and treasures of light, virtue, and felicity, are displayed be- 
fore our eyes, is a work so marvellous and divine that none but a being 
of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness, could have conceived the 
idea, or executed the plan. 

The more we advance in our researches in nature's works, the 
more clearly we discern that wisdom and goodness which have crea- 
ted, and which govern the whole. After having laid down these prin- 
ciples, we shall think differently from what we have done of the ra- 
vages of winter. Even the tempest, the snow, the frost, and all that 
appears disagreeable at this season, are linked together in the eternal 
order of things. Each thing has its season, and comes at the deter- 
mined time ; and by means of all these revolutions, the Divine wisdom 
preserves the harmony of the immense whole. The wind which ter- 
rifies the mariner at sea, carries water to dry barren land. The sul- 
phureous vapours, salts, and other matters, driven by the wind from 
one country to another, revive the earth, and restore fertility to the 
fields covered with stubble, which frequent crops had exhausted. 
Thus the winter, which appears so destructive, enables our fields to 
produce new crops. 

At present, the ground, the gardens, and the seeds rest buried un- 
der the snow and ice. The inhabitants of the forests howl more hide- 
ously than usual. The beasts are oppressed with hunger. The 
whole world appears dead. But, the Lord preserves the world un- 
der this apparent death, and watches cur perishing nature. What 
miracles are wrought in the midst of these terrifying scenes of win- 
ter ! He feeds and supports the poor ; the sparrow w^hich can now 
no longer find food, lives, notwithstanding, in the place of its retreat, 
on the gifts of God's beneficent hand. The earth, whose fruitful bo- 
som is now shut up, provides no more food ; but, His hand, which is 
ever open, provides the necessaries of life, and he calls into being the 
things which do not as yet exist. 

"Lord, thou art great! In the most tempestuous seasons thou 
showest thyself the mild and compassionate Lord. Thou knowest 
how to prepare us food from snow and ice : and to enable man to 
shake off the yoke of pinching cold ; thou endowest him with under- 
standing and industry. Thou clothest the naked ; thou strengthenest 
the weak ; they live and are prosperous. Teach us to seek thy face, 
and ever to acknowledge thee as the friend and benefactor of man- 
kind. May thy goodness kindle a holy love in our hearts ; such a 
love as feels no difficulty to extend itself to our most cruel enemy ; 
so that w^e may clothe him when naked, feed him when hungry, and 
dry up his tears in the day of his distress ! It is rigth that the world 
should be ever governed by the eternal laws which thou hast pre- 
scribed. When, for thy sake, the poor man shares his morsel with 
him who is utterly destitute, condescend to compensate his labour of 



590 DECEMBER XIII. 



Tlioughts on the ravages of winter. 



love. Thy purpose is everlasting. While time shall endure, summer 
and winter, seed-time and harvest, shall succeed each other, and thy 
blessing shall rest on the whole creation." 



DECEMBER XIII.^ 

THE ORANG-OUTANG. 

The great interval which separates man from the quadrupeds, is 
filled up by the ape, and by those animals which bear the nearest re- 
semblance to the ape, the species of which are very numerous, and 
intimately blended. Leaving those which approach nearest to quad- 
rupeds, properly such, we insensibly arise, by a variety of gradations, 
to a principal and superior species, which has so near a resemblance 
to the human race, that from this circumstance, it has received the 
name of orang-outang, or wild man. 

If the elephant appears to resemble man by intelligence, the orang- 
outang bears a nearer resemblance to him, not only in his external 
and internal structure, but also in his inclinations and habits, and the 
various talents which result from them. 

The orang-outang resembles the human bemg so much, that the 
anatomist who compares them, seems to compare two individuals of 
the same species, or, at least, of the same ge7ius ; so that, struck with 
the numerous and decisive similitudes which he discovers between 
these two beings, he does not hesitate a moment to place the orang-^ 
outang immediately after the Hottentot. 

This animal, the chief and largest of the ape kind, appears, in effect, 
to possess all the attributes of humanity, if we except only that grand 
and most distingushing characteristic of man, which no other animal 
shares with him, and which gives him a decided superiority over all, 
reason and speech. The orang-outang does noi speak ; therefore he 
does not think, for speech is necessary to thought. He has, notwith- 
standing, all the exterior organs of speech ; and, on dissection, his 
brain appears perfectly to resemble that of man : yet something in 
the number, figure, or arrangement of the particles of matter in the 
brain, which corresponds to the human voice, must be wanting. This 
animal has not the capacity of connecting his ideas with those articu- 
late sounds which represent them : nor of associating or combining 
them in that infinitely diversified manner which is so evident in man. 
But though the orang-outang be not man, yet be is, at least, the most 
perfect similitude of man on the face of the earth. Indeed this si- 
militude is so complete, that the female has the same periodical eva- 
cuation as the female of the human species. The male is sometimes 
as tali, and rather lustier than man. Like him he walks upright, 
using a staff for the purpose, which he procures for himself: and 
which he can use. well, either in case of self-defence, or in attacking 



DECEMBER XIII.^ 591 



The orang-outang. 



his enemy. With astonishment, we behold him taking his place at 
table among the guests, unfolding his napkin, and using his knife, fork, 
and spoon, in the most proper manner. He pours out the liquor into 
the glass ; touches glasses with any of the company when desired ; 
wipes his lips with the napkin ; lays the cup and saucer on the table 
puts in the sugar, pours out the tea, and then leaves it to cool before he 
attempts to drink it. Finally, shakes hands with the guests, or walks 
out gravely along with them. 

We are not less surprized to see the orang-outang lie down in the 
bed which himself has previously made ; place his head upon the 
bolster; bind it with a handkerchief: adjust the clothes on him, &c. 
One who in sickness had been twice bled in the arm, when after- 
ward afflicted, presented his arm as if desirous of being relieved by 
the same treatment. 

Very susceptible of instruction, the orang-outang makes a good 
servant, and will readily obey either signs or words. If brought 
up to domestic service, he acquits himself with great propriety and 
exactness in the different functions assigned to him : rinses the glass- 
es ; brings drink ; turns the spit ; pounds in a mortar whatever is 
given him to pound ; goes to the well for water, fills his pitcher, 
places it on his head, brings it home, &c. 

These animals live in society in the woods : they have both strength 
and courage sufficient to attack an elephant with their clubs, and com- 
pel him to retreat. They even dare to attack an armed man. More 
industrious than the elephant, they understand how to build huts with 
interwoven branches, properly adapted to their necessities ; are 
passionately fond of women ; pursue them with vehemence, embrace 
them when they catch them ; feed, and take the utmost care of 
them. 

The female is affectionately attached to her young : carries it va 
her arms ; gives it the breast, provides for all its necessities, and de- 
fends it with great courage. 

: I almost scruple to insert here a last trait of the instinct of the 
orang-outang, which at first view might appear more proper (or fable 
than history ; but which we have received from a celebrated travel- 
ler, and with which the great historian of nature has not disdained to 
enrich his work. When the orang-outang finds no more fruits on 
the mountains, or in the woods, he goes to the sea-coasts in search of 
a very large species of oyster, of several pounds weight, which he 
often finds gaping on the shore ; but the circumspect animal, fearing 
lest the oyster, in closing his shell, should catch hold of his hand, 
very adroitly puts in a stone, which hindering the shell from closing, 
permits him to take out, and eat the fish at his ease ! 

How manifold and beneficent is the wisdom of God ! What an end- 
less diversity in the works of his hands ! Nature never proceeds by 
leaps : what an enormous distance separates the man from the dog ! 
and yet between the man and dog the links of the chain are uninter- 
rupted. In proceeding along this chain, the contemplator of nature 



692 DECEMBER XIII.=^ 



The orang-outang. 



arrives at last, with astonishment, at a being so similar to man, that the 
characteristics which distinguish them, seem less to be specific differ- 
ences than simple varieties ! Reader, God has distinguished thee 
from the animal in question, by reason and speech : he has also given 
thee an immortal soul ; he has made thee lord of this lower world ; 
and rendered thee capable of infinite happiness; submit to him who 
is Lord of the universe ; and devote all thy powers unreservedly to 
his glory I 



DECEMBER XIV. 

SAGACITY OF ANIMALS IN PROCURING THEIR WINTER'S SUBSISTENCE. 

There are some animals which lay up stores for winter ; and, in 
harvest time, make provision for six months. It seems as if they 
foresaw a season when they could not collect food ; and make use of 
this precaution for their future support : besides, they can calculate 
exactly what will be necessary, not only for their own consumption 
but also for that of their family. Bees are almost the only insects 
which lay up provisions for winter. They use their wax with asto- 
nishing economy, as they know they can collect no more after the sea- 
son of flowers is over ; and have no other resource for their subsis- 
tence and the construction of their cells, than the collection Avhich 
they have already made. Their prudence directs them to collect 
another sort of matter which they need, to keep the cold out of their 
hives ; this is a glutinous substance, which they collect from flowers 
and bitter plants, and which they employ in stopping up closely every 
crevice in their hives. Their economy may be seen even in the 
smallest matters. They waste nothing ; and that which they need 
not at present, they reserve for the future. Those who have care- 
fully examined them, assure us, that when in winter they uncover 
their cells to come at the honey, they carry oflfthe wax with which 
they were closed, and lay it up for future use. 

Among quadrupeds, the hamster diXi^ field mouse lay up provision 
for winter; and in harvest time carry a quantity of grain into their 
subterraneous dwellings. Among birds, magpies and jays gather 
heaps of acorns in autumn, and keep them for winter in hollow trees. 
As to those animals which sleep during the winter, they make 
no provision ; this to them would be useless. But the others not 
only provide for the present but also for the future. Each in the 
time of abundance provides against the time of want. And it has 
never been known that the provisions which they then collected 
were insufficient for their winter's maintenance. 

These economic cares cannot be considered as the fruit of reflec- 
tion ; as this would be to attribute to them much more intelligence 
than they really possess. It is probable that they only think of the 



DECEMBER XIV. 593 



Sagacity of Einimals in procuring their winter's subsistence. 



present and of what affects their senses, either in an agreeable or 
disagreeable manner. And, if the present influences them in refe- 
rence to the future, this is without design, and without their havin<r 
any knowledge of what they do. How can we suppose that there 
can be any foresight or reflection in this instinct of animals, seeing 
they have no experience of the vicissitudes of seasons, and the nature 
of winter ; and that having no idea of the measure of time, it is im- 
possible for them to know when the winter will come, or how long it 
shall last. Nor can we attribute to them any reasoning or ideas con- 
cerning the future ; nor imagine that they seek the means for subsis- 
tence, during the severe season, from reflection, seeing they ever 
act the same way, without any variation ; and that each species fol- 
lows constantly and naturally, the same method, without having been 
previously taught it. 

When, for example, the working bees continue to collect that ho» 
ney and wax with which they fill their hives, as lon^ as the season 
will permit them, it is not because they foresee that a time will come 
ill which they shall not be able to collect any : such foresight cannot 
be attributed to them : how can creatures which have only sensual 
perceptions, judge of futurity^ But every thing has been so or- 
dered that the bees find provision made, notwithstanding they made 
their collection without design. They are led by Providence to gather 
wax and honey; they labour at this during the fine weather, and 
when winter comes, they find their magazines full. These animals, as 
well as all others, act blindly, and almost mechanically, without reflec- 
tion or design ; although they appear to conduct themselves according- 
to the wisest and most prudential rules. Therefore, being destitute 
of reason, this wise economy, these acts of apparent foresight and 
reflection which we remark in them, must be produced by a Superior 
Intelligence^ who has thought of and cares for them; and whose 
%-iews they fulfil without knowing it. 

In, this consists part of our superiority over the brute creation. 
We can present the past and the future to our minds ; we can act 
from reflection, and form plans ; we can determine through motives, 
and choose what is most suitable. But how necessary is it that we 
should make a proper use of these prerogatives I Informed, as we 
are, of the g-reat revolutions which await us, and being enabled to 
look forward to the winter of our life, should we not lay up a good 
store of well-founded hopes and consolations, which might render our 
latter days not only supportable but happy? No sight can be more 
afflicting than to see an old man, who, in the days of his youth, had 
lived without care or foresight, and who, now that his winter is 
come, is destitute of all comfort, and whose state is more humiliating 
because he has deserved it. Let us not act in this inconsiderate man- 
ner; but henceforth after the example of a wise economist, let ua 
ever have the future before our eyes, and prepare for it. Let us, 
without delay, adopt those measures which may secure our comfort 
in old age, and our happiness to eternity. 



594 DECEMBER XV. 



Advantages of winter. 



DECEMBER XV. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF WINTER. 

Let us reflect on the blessings which God grants us in this rigorous- 
season. The cold and frost retain many noxious vapours in the upper 
regions of the atmosphere, and purify the air. Far from being inju- 
rious to the health of men, they often confirm it, and preserve our hu- 
mours from that putrefaction which continual heat would infallibly 
produce. If the exhalations and vapours which collect in the atmos- 
phere were always to fall dov/n in rain, the earth would be too much 
soaked and softened ; the roads would be impassible ; our bodies would 
be filled with humours; their different parts would be too much dilated 
and relaxed ; whereas the cold braces and strengthens them, and pro- 
motes the circulation of the blood. In very hot countries, and in those 
where the earth is too wet during the winter, obstinate and mortal dis- 
eases are more frequent than elsewhere. Travellers assure us, that in 
Greenland^ where the country is covered with mountains of ice, and 
where, during the winter, the days are but four or ii'JQ hours long, the 
atmosphere is very -wholesome, pure, and light : and, excepting some 
slight coughs and affections of the eyes, occasioned partly by the quality 
of their food, maladies common in Europe are seldom to be met with 
among them. It is certain that the constitution of the human body va- 
ries according to the difference of climates ; so that the inhabitants of 
the northern countries have a constitution adapted to the excessive cold 
which continually prevails there, and their bodies are generally healthy 
and robust. Even as man, though the love of activity and labour be 
necessary for him. is nevertheless glad to suspend his labours every 
evening, that he may taste the sweets of repose, and spend a part of 
his time differently from that in which he was, during the day ; evenso 
our nature accommodates itself to the variations of the seasons ; and is 
pleased with this variation, because it contributes to our comfort and 
well-being. 

At present, our gardens and fields are covered with snow ; and they 
repose under this covering ; and it is necessary to preserve them from 
-the injuries of the cold, to shelter the seed from the impetuosity of the 
winds, and to prevent it from rotting. Our fields had need of rest after 
having produced, during the fine weather, an abundance of all those 
fruits on which we subsist during the winter. In this let us acknow- 
ledge the wise bounty of God: if our present support had not been 
provided for us, if in this severe season we were obliged to till the 
earth, our complaints would have some ground ; but he has replenish- 
ed our stores with a sufficiency for our present necessities, and we 
enjoy that rest which is suitable to the season. 

How tenderly does Providence care for us in these days of winter ' 
God has endued men with that industry which they require, to defend 
themselves from the cold and frost. Their inventive minds have led 
them to find out an artificial fire, by means of which they may enjoy, 
in their chambers, some of the comforts of summer. The care of Pro- 



DECEMBER XV. 595 



Advantages of winter. 



vidence is not less manifest in the yearly produce of wood, and its 
astonishing increase, than in the fertility of our fields. Besides, we 
have at this season a multitude of creatures at our command, which, 
make it tolerable. The colder the country is, the more those useful 
animals are multiplied in it whose fur is designed to keep us warm. 
Is it not evident, that the Divine Wisdom has foreseen the wants of 
different countries ; and that he has provided for them by placing ani- 
mals there which could live no w^here else ! Our beasts of burden 
bring us the necessary provision : and it is worthy of remark, that our 
cattle are most prolific when we stand most in need of them. 

Winter does not materially interrupt trade or commerce; Rivers, in 
many places, are frozen o%^er, and are as solid as brass ; the surface 
being covered with snow, travelling is facilitated ; and thus a new mean 
of intercourse is opened among men. Men are not condemned to in- 
action, or idleness, during this season ; for, if they are obliged to sus- 
pend the labours of the field, they have a thousand ways of employing 
themselves usefully in domestic life. The repose of nature invites 
them to reflect on themselves. Their attention, it is true, can be no 
longer fixed on the beauties which spring and summer present to their 
eyes ; but their minds may be so much the more at liberty to reflect, 
even in the darkness of the night, on the instability of all earthly 
things : and these reflections may lead man to consecrate himself un- 
reservedly to the service of that Supreme Being who never changes, 
and to prepare for eternity. Man may now have leisure, in a quiet 
retreat, to cultivate his understanding ; study his own heart ; correct 
his errors ; and acquire power from his Maker to walk uprightly* 
How wise should we be, if we made so good a use of this season ! If, 
during the winter, we can neither cultivate our gardens, reap our 
fields, nor gather in new fruits, we may, at least cultivate our souls, 
and endeavour to render ourselves useful to our neighbour. However 
severe the season may he', if may, jncvortKeless, famish US witn abun- 
dant reason to bless God ; to acknowledge his benefits, and trust in him. 

How inexcusable must our ingratitude be, if wholly taken up with 
the inconveniences of winter, we forget the advantages and blessings 
which God condescends to give us in this season I Let these consi- 
derations awaken our minds to more equitable sentiments, and excite 
us to celebrate the loving kindness of the Lord at all times, and in all 
seasons. 



DECEMBER XVI. 

THE ELEMENTS. 

Whether we consider the universe collectively, or examine its dif- 
ferent component parts, we shall always find sufficient motives to lead 
us to admire the power and wisdom of the Creator. It is true, that we 
know things very imperfectly ; and that, in most cases, we can scarcely 
go beyond conjecture and probability : but this is enough to cause us 



596 DECEMBER XVL 



The elements. 



to acknowledge the greatness of God on the one hand, and the weak- 
ness of our reason on the other. Probably all the elements are of the 
same nature, and may be reduced to one only : perhaps they are so 
combined as to form but one whole. But it would be very difficult to 
consider the elements in this collective point of view : it is therefore 
necessary to divide them in our minds, and consider the primitive 
constituent parts of bodies separately. 

What various and admirable properties has the air which we every 
moment respire ! With what force does it divide and dissolve all sorts 
of substances, partaking of the qualities of each ! Innumerable va- 
pours and exhalations, and thousands of different odours : so many 
volatile salts, alkalies, and acids : so many oils and inflammable spirits, 
which blend and unite with it, render it sometimes noxious : but, in 
general, wholesome and good. These foreign matters with which the 
air is laden, its elasticity, the property it has of being rarefied or con- 
densed, and of reassuming its natural state, produce those agitations 
in the atmosphere, those meteors, which disperse noxious vapours, 
which purify the earth, and promote the vegetation of plants. And, 
though the effects of the air may be sometimes terrible, they are ne- 
vertheless absolutely necessary to prevent the earth from becoming a 
frightful deaert. But there are in this element, as v;ell as in all the 
works of the Lord, impenetrable mysteries. Who, for instance, can 
explain how the particles of air, which are so extremely fine as not to 
be visible, are, notwithstanding, the very means by Vy-hich objects be- 
come visible to us ! What can be more astonishing than that equili- 
brium between the outward air and that which is within us ? A 
balance on which our very life depends ! A.nd who can sufficiently 
admire this, that one and the same element should be the medium by 
which sounds, odours, and light should be transmitted ! 

There is great conformity between air and imter ; and its proper- 
ties and pffppf« aro Tcxat Icoa variouo, nor lose wonderful, How maUV 

different qualities has God given to this element ! All the abundance 
and salubrity of the air, all the fertility of the earth, and the warmth 
of the fire, could not save us from perishing, were we destitute of 
water. How many changes is it susceptible of ! Who has given it 
the property of being dilated, divided, and rarefied, so that it can as- 
cend the height of a league in the atmosphere, form itself into fogs 
and clouds, and continue suspended there ? Who has given it power 
to penetrate plants, to transpire from them through insensible pores ; 
and diffuse itself over our fields and valleys in the form of a refreshing 
dew ? How astonishing is that property which it has of becoming 
sometimes lighter than air ; (although a mass of water be nearly 90iOi 
times heavier than a similar mass of air ;) of resuming afterward its 
natural weight ; of attaching itself to all sorts of bodies ; of dissolving 
the most compact substances, and of uniting itself even with fire ! 

Of all the elements, we know least oifire : it is too subtile for our 
eyes : but its virtues, properties, and effects, are sensible enough. 
Whether the essence of fire consists in motion only, or in the forma- 



DECEMBER XVI. 597 



■J'lie elements. 



tion of what are called inflammable particles ; or, that it is a simple 
substance, different in its nature from all other corporeal things, (which 
a number of experiments seem to render very probable,) it is, never- 
theless, certain, that its prodigious abundance, its utility, and its won- 
derful effects, deserve our utmost attention. There is no body, how- 
ever cold, but contains fiery particles, which become sensible when 
excited by violent friciion. Fire exists every where. Its presence is 
universal : it is found in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, 
and in the earth that supports us. It enters into the composition of 
all bodies ; it pervades their smallest pores ; it unites itself intimately 
with them ; it moves with them from place to place ; and, however 
enveloped, however confined, it fails not to make itself evident at last. 
With what force does it dilate the surrounding air; whilst the air, in 
its turn, nourishes the fire, and renders it more active and violent. 
Fire gives v/ater its fluidity, the earth its fertillity, health to man, and 
life to all animals. 

Earth, when in a pure- state, is distinguished from all other substan- 
ces, by having neither taste nor smell: by being insoluble both in 
water and spirits of wine, and in being most friable of all bodies. At 
first sight, it appears very different from all the other elements ; never- 
theless, it has so many conformities to them, that there are philoso- 
phers who believe that water is nothing but earth saturated and dis- 
solved ; and the earth is water thickened and condensed. According 
to these, the water continually diminishes on our globe, and gradually 
forms compact bodies : because, that formerly our planet was only a 
wet and fluid mass, and was-, in more ancient timesj nothing but water. 

All the elements which we have mentioned, are absolutely necessa- 
ry to our existence and preservation ; and there is none of them but 
may fill us with admiration, when we reflect on its wonderful proper- 
ties, and on the numerous and diversified effects which it produces. 
With how many properties, different from each other, has God endued 
his works ? How many agents, in heaven and on earth, are continu- 
ally employed for the preservation of the universe in general, and of 
each creature in particular ! How many revolutions and phenomena 
are produced by the mere combination of the elements ! It would be 
more easy to reckon up the works of God, than the multiplied forces 
which are still in action. But, how great must that Power be from 
which all these proceed ! They all depend on the will of the wise 
and almighty Creator. He has formed the Ayhole, and impressed on 
each its constant, uniform, and beneficial motion. It is God who main- 
tains the elements in that equilibrium to which the world owes its pre- 
servation ! And to this God be glory for ever and ever. 

DECEMBER XVII. 

THE sun's INFLTTENCE ON THE EARTH. 

The sun is the principal cause of most of the phenomena which 
take place on the earth. He is the constant source of that light which 



598 DECEMBER XVII. 

The sun's influence on the earth. 

is so plentifully diffused over our globe. The light of the sun is the 
most subtile fire ; it penetrates all bodies ; and, when in sufficient 
quantity, it puts all their parts into motion ; attenuates, decomposes, 
and dissolves those that are solid ; rarefies those that are fluid, and 
thus adapts them to an infinity of motions. Is it not evident, that on 
these various operations of the sun on bodies, all the phenomena, and 
all the revolutions of the globe depend, even in the smallest circum- 
stances. When the strength of the sun's light increases, i. e. when 
his rays fall less obliquely on us, and in a greater quantity on a given 
space, and that they continue longer each day, as is the case in sum- 
mer ; all this musi necessarily produce the most considerable changes, 
not only in the atmosphere, but also on the surface of the earth. And 
when the rays fall more obliquely on a given space, and are conse- 
quently weaker, and in less quantity ; and the days being shorter, 
their action is not prolonged, as is the case in winter. What a change 
takes place in the earth, and what different phenomena do we observe 
in the atmosphere ; what gradual changes do we perceive, when, from 
the remote sign of Capricorn, the sun continues to approach the equi- 
noctial line; till in spring, the days and nights become equal! And, 
how many new phenomena appear, \vhen this luminous and active 
globe returns in summer from the tropic of Cancer toward the line, 
till the days and nights become again equal in autumn, and the sun 
removes from our zenith ! 

It is on the distance of this luminal}'' that all the variations depend 
which we observe in the vegetation of plants, 'in the internal constitution 
of bodies in all climates, and in all seasons. Hence each climate and 
each season, has plants and animals peculiar to itself; hence the pro- 
gress of vegetation is more or less rapid, and the productions of nature 
subsist a longer or shorter space of time. But it would be impossible 
to describe the various effects of the sun on the earth. All the changes 
and revolutions which take place on our globe, have their principle in 
the influence of the sun ; for, on him, principally, the different degrees 
of heat aqd cold depend : I say, principally, for the nature of the soil, 
the different combinations which exist in one country more than in 
another, mountains of a greater or less height, and their different po- 
sition, may also contribute something toward a country's being more 
or less cold, and more or less subject to rain, to wind, and to the other 
variations of the atmosphere. But, it is incontestable, that these acces- 
sary causes are not sufficient to produce the effects which we observe 
in different places, and m different times : for these effects could not 
exist, if the heat of the sun did not act in the manner it does. And 
were the degrees and manner of its operation changed, the effects, 
also, would change in the same proportion. 

It requires but very little attention to be convinced of the numerous 
and sensible effects of which the sun is the prime cause : his influence 
appears daily. Sometim.es he rarefies, and sometimes condenses 
the air: sometimes he raises vapours and fogs: and sometimes con- 
denses them in order to form them into meteors, or send them down in 
rain. It is the sun v/hich causes the sap to ascend in vegetables ; 



DECEIVIBER XVII. 599 



The sun's influence on the earth. 



which causes the leaves and blossoms to shoot ; which produces, tinges, 
and ripens the fruit. The sun aninriates all nature. It is the source 
of that vivifying- warmth, which gives to organized bodies the power 
of unfolding themselves, and of growing to perfection. It penetrates 
into the depths of the earth, where it produces metals, and gives life 
to animals. It penetrates mountains and rocks, and its influence 
reaches even to the depths of the sea. This alone must be sufficient 
to convince us of the power of our creator; but if we consider with 
how much art God has drawn a multitude of great effects out of one 
and the same instrument, and has caused the heat of the sun to pro- 
duce so many phenomena in nature, we shall be more and more sensi- 
bly persuaded that nothing less than infinite wisdom, joined to unlimit- 
ed power, could have produced so many miracles. AVouldmen deserve 
to be enlightened, warm.ed, and cheered by the sun, if in the salutary- 
influences of this beneficent globe, they did not acknowledge the glo- 
rious perfections of the Supreme Being : if they did not admire his 
greatness and goodness ; and if they did not adore him with sentiments 
of the most profound veneration and respect ? 



DECEMBER XVIII. 

TEMPESTUOUS WINTER RAINS. 

How different are these cold rains which fall at present, from the 
warm showers which in summer embellished and fertilized the earth-! 
This change gives a melancholy aspect to nature. The sun is vailed, 
and th-e whole sky appears to be but one immense cloud. We cannot 
see to any great distance : a gloomy obscurity surrounds us : and the 
tempest is continually lowering. At last the clouds empty themselves 
and deluge the fields; the atmosphere seems an inexhaustible re- 
servoir for water : rivers and brooks are swelled up, overflow their 
banks, and lay fields and meadows under water. 

However disagreeable and inconvenient this weather may appear to 
us, we must acknowledge it is for wise and kind purposes. The earth, 
in a manner exhausted by its fruitfulness, requires a renovation of its 
streng-th : and in order to this it is not onlj^ necessary that it should 
rest, but that it should be also sufficiently moistened. T^he rain waters 
and revives the dry thirsty land. The wet soaks into it, and reaches 
down to the lowest roots of plants. The dry leaves which covered the 
earth, rot, and become excellent manure. The heavy winter rains fill 
the rivers anew, and furnish water for springs and fountains. Nature 
is never idle. It continues to labour though its activity be sometimes 
concealed. The clouds, by continually pouring down rain or snow, 
prepare for the fertility of the coming year, and for the riches of sum- 
mer. And when the heat of the sun restores the dry season, the abun- 
dant springs, which the winter rains had formed, diffuse their waters 
abroad, refresh the fields and valleys, and adorn them with fresh ver- 
dure. Thus the wise Creator prepares for the future ; and that which 



600 DECEMBER XVIII. 



Tempestuous winter rains. 



appears to us inconvenient, and even destructive, is, in his hand, the 
germ of the beauties and abundance which are lavished on us in spring 
and summer. The blessings which God grants us by these means 
are as innumerable as the drops which fall from the clouds ; and though 
blind and ungrateful man continue to murmur when he should rejoice 
and adore, yet the eternal and unchangeable Wisdom continues to ful- 
fil his beneficent designs. Our preservation, therefore, is the chief 
end which God proposes in v/atering the earth with these rains. But 
the Divine wisdom knows how to combine various designs, subordinate 
to each other ; and from the happy combination of these designs, the 
order and good of the universe result. Thus, animals which exist, 
not only for the use of man but for themselves, must also be fed and 
supported ; for them, as well as for us, the rains descend from the 
clouds and render the earth fruitful. 

But here, as in all other things, we see the wisest economy. All 
the vapours and exhalations which daily arise from terrestrial bodies, 
are collected and suspended in the atmosphere ; which in due time re- 
stores them to the earth, either in the form of small drops of heavy 
showers, or in flakes of snow, according to it different necessities ; but 
this is always done with economy, and without suffering liberality to 
degenerate into prodigality. Every thing becomes serviceable: dews 
which are always imperceptible to us, light fogs and mists, all contri- 
bute to fertilize the earth. But in vain would the vapours arise, in vain 
would the clouds be formed, if nature had not provided the winds to 
shake and disperse them on all hands : to convey ihem from one place 
to another, to water the ground where it requires it. Were not this 
the case some districts would be deluged with perpetual rains, and 
others would experisnce all the horrors of drought : trees, plants, grass, 
and corn must perish, if the winds did not drive away the clouds, and 
mark out the places on which they were to pour out their rains. God 
says to the snow, Be thou upon the earth ; and it descends in flakes : 
and when he commands the winter's rain to fall, it spreads itself over 
the face of the field. 

However inconvenient the rains of winter may appear, or the uncom- 
fortable temperature of this season, they are, nevertheless, absolutely 
indispensable : so also are the dark and gloomy days of our lives. In 
order that we may bring forth all the fruit of good works, it is not ne- 
cessary that the sun of prosperity should shine uninterruptedly upon 
us ; we must meet with trials and afflictions. Let us receive adversity 
from the hand of God with resignation ; as we may be fully convinced 
that all his dispensations are ordered by infinite wisdom and goodness. 



DECEMBER XIX, 

JUDICIAL ASTROLOGY. 

The prodigious distance of the heavenly bodies from our globe, and 
the little connexion they have with it, will not permit us to believe that 



DECEMBER XIX. 601 



Judicial astrology. 



they can have any sensible influence upon it. Nevertheless many su- 
perstitious people give credit to such influence ; and say that continual 
emanations proceed from the stars and planets, which operate not only on 
the atmosphere, but on all terrestrial bodies. But what are these ema- 
nations ? If by these they mean the proper light of the stars, or the 
light of the sun reflected from the planets, it comes evidently to very 
little, as it is much less than what comes to us from the moon alone. 
But as the light of the moon has no manner of influence upon the earth 
or the atmosphere, consequently the much feebler of the light of the 
planets and stars can have none. But if it be supposed that other matter 
emanates from the stars, this supposition is not only void of ail foun- 
dation, but is evidently false : for if there were real emanations, they 
must, when collected in the focus of a burning-glass, produce some al- 
teration and some sensible change in terrestrial bodies ; but this is con- 
tradicted by experience. It therefore follows that no other matter pro- 
ceeds from these heavenly bodies, than that faint light which they send 
to us ; or, if any other emanations proceed from them, they must be such 
as pass through terrestrial bodies without producing the smallest de- 
rangement in their parts. Thus the astrologers, whether they deceive 
themselves, or wish to impose upon others, deserve nothing but Con- 
tempt w^hen they inform us of the benign influence of Jupiter, the ma- 
lignant influence of Saturn, the wit-inspiring influence of Mercury, 
the warlike disposition produced by Mars, and the amorous influence 
of Venus. 

The planets not only cannot produce any of those particular effects 
which the astrologers attribute to them ; but taken even collectively, 
they have no influence. But what shall we say of the rain bringing 
Pleiades^ the tempestuous Orion, the melancholy Hyades, the setting 
of Arcturus, and the rising of Capricorn ; all of which presage hail 
and tempests ? What influence can the constellation Taurus have on 
pease, beans, and such like ; or the star Sirius on mad dogs ? What 
relation can Scorpio have with the productions of harvest? But if 
the rising and setting of the different constellations were observed only 
in order to know tlie proper times for the different operations of agri- 
culture, and not as the causes of natural things, this might be pardoned. 
In ancient times the beginning, middle, and end of each season were 
not marked by months ; but by the rising and setting of stars in con- 
junction with the sun, or by immersion in, and emersion from the rays 
of that luminary. Hence the vulgar opinion, that the different aspects 
of these stars produce the effects which, in reality, can only be attribu- 
ted to the seasons, and consequently to the sun. Orion rises in autumn, 
and sets in winter ; this has made some people think that he is the au- 
thor of tempests ; but it is not he who raises them, it is the autumn 
and winter ; and his rising and setting only marks the time of those sea- 
sons. When the dog-star rises v^'ith our sun, it is excessively hot in 
our zone; but this star is not the cause of it; the heat comes from our 
sun, who is then in his greatest elevation. I say our sun, for in the 
opposite zone, when the dog-star rises with the sun. it is so very cold 

76 



602 DECEMBER XIX. 



Judicial astrology. 



as to benumb animals, and cover the rivers with ice. Therefore the in- 
habitants of the southern countries, far from considering the dog-star 
as the cause of heat, consider it as the cause of cold. It is exactly the 
same with the Pleiades, which are supposed to be the cause of rain ; 
and it is the same with all the other constellations, to which effects 
have been attributed which, in reality, belong only to the seasons when 
these stars rise and set. 

If then the planets and fixed stars have no part in the temperature 
and natural revolutions of our globe, they can have no influence over 
human actions. The happiness and misery of individuals, and of 
whole nations, depend partly on their natural talents and passions, 
and partly on the political constitution of those states ; and partly on 
the union of certain circumstances, natural and moral ; but in all 
these the stars have no influence ; and had they any, we should be 
led to doubt the empire of Providence ; and to believe that the world 
was not governed by an infinitely wise, just, good, and powerful Be- 
ing. And, who would wish to inhabit a globe, the revolutions of 
which depend on blind chance, or the influence of the stars, which 
must be fatal to our natural and moral state. 

Let us, therefore, leave to the superstitious a science inimical to our 
repose, and so degrading to the human mind : and let us ever under- 
stand astrology to be only, at the bottom, a miserable perversion of 
astronomy. It is a sufficient foundation for our peace that we live 
under the empire of a wise, just, and gracious Parent, who is the sole 
Arbiter of our lot, who directs all the events of our life : and who is 
the Governor, Preserver, and Regulator of the sun, the moon, the 
planets, and the stars ! 



DECEMBER XX. 

THE POLAE, STAR. 

Among the northern constellations, there are none so remarkable as 
that which is nearest to the pole, and which is termed the little hear. 
The last star of its tail is but two degrees distant from the pole : on 
this account it is called the polar star. It is easy to distinguish this 
from the stars near it, because it scarcely appears to change its posi- 
tion ; and is always seen in the same point of the heavens. It appears 
indeed to revolve round the pole ; but its motion is so slow, and the 
circle which it describes so small, that it is scarcely perceptible. Its 
situation, therefore, can be very little varied : and, as it is seen in all 
seasons of the year in the same point of the firmament, it becomes a 
sure guide to the mariner, particularly in the open seas. Before the 
discovery of the magnet, sailors had no surer guide than the polar star ; 
and even now. when the sky is serene, they may depend more confi- 
dently on this star than even on the magnetic needle. 

The advantages which we derive from the polar star, may naturally 
lead us to useful reflections. What a sure moral o-uide is that inesti- 



DECEMBER XX. 603 



Thft pnlar star. 



mable gift of God, viz : his Word ; and especially his Gospel, which 
shows us the course we should steer through the stormy sea of this 
world ; and through the darkness with which we are encompassed. 
Without this faithful guide, we should wander continualljr, and never 
find the path which leads to God and heavenly glory. If this divine 
word were not as a lavip to go before us, and a light which points out 
the path we should take, we should be liable to err here below; some- 
times tormented with fear, at other times entertaining some feeble hope ; 
but always in doubt and uncertainty. It is in divine Revelation alone 
that we find a sure and invariable rule, according to which we may 
pursue the race that is set before us with courage, and finish it with joy. 
Let us ever follow this sure guide, which cannot lead us astray. Let 
us attend to it as the pilot attends to the pole star ; and let us keep it 
continually in sight, that we may not err. With its assistance we 
shall shun all dangers ; be preserved from shipwreck; and at last arrive 
in that blessed haven where we shall rest from our labours ; and where 
we shall enjoy a happiness which nothing can disturb. 

What we have said concerning the polar star, should lead us to 
admire the goodness of God ; who, by the situation and course of the 
stars, gives us a sure knowledge of times, places, and the different 
points of the heavens. An astronomer, though in an unknown coun- 
try, can, by means of the stars, tell where he is ; and know the month, 
day, and hour, as exactly as if he consulted the most correct timepiece. 
If, for instance, we only take notice that the stars come every day /o^^r 
minutes sooner to the place where they were the preceding evening ; 
we. know, consequently, that this will amount to tivo hours in a month. 

Thus, the star which we noticed this evening in a certain point of 
the heavens at ten o'clock, we shall see, if we are on the same spot the 
twentieth of January, in the same point of the heavens precisely at 
eight o'clock. The star which we observe this day at midnight ex- 
actly over our heads will, in the space of a ye3r, come to the same 
point again. In this we may see the tender concern of God for all the 
inhabitants of the earth. How much to be pitied would many people 
be, who have neither clocks, watches, nor geographical charts, if ihey 
could not supply this defect by the observation of the staid I If we 
consider ourselves in the place of those people, this meditation will not 
appear a matter of indifference ; for, we must be devoid of every hu- 
man and generous sentiment, if objects which do not immediately con- 
cern ourselves, but which interest so m.any of our brethren* should 
appear unworthy of our attention. 

Let us raise our souls in gratitude to our compassionate Father, 
the Creator of all the heavenly host. The use that the stars are of, 
in this respect, to man, is certainly one of the smallest advantages 
which result from the existence of these celestial bodies ; and yet 
this benefit alone merits our praise and thanksgiving. " The hea- 
vens are the work of thy hand ; thou hast marshalled all their hosts. 
Thou hast extended them widely as a curtain, and made them the 
ceiling of thy palace. The highest heaven is thy throne, and thou 
liast hung out the moon and stars to illuminate our nights." 



604 DECEMBER XXL 



EITccta of niv ■o/bpn cOTTfinod in bodies. 



DECEMBER XXI. 

EFFECTS OF AIR WHEN CONFINED IN BODIES. 

The effects of air, when enclosed in bodies, are very astonishing. 
Every body knows what is the consequence of fluids freezing. Water 
in this state generally breaks the vessels in which it was enclosed. A 
musket filled with water, if the muzzle be hermetically sealed, bursts 
with great violence in excessive cold. This, at first view, appears 
incomprehensible : we know that water is not fluid of itself; but be- 
comes so by means of the principle of heat, which penetrates every 
part ; and consequently it becomes a solid mass, when it is deprived 
of the particles of this matter which were included in it; or when its 
fluidity ceases through excessive cold. It seems then that the particles 
of water must be condensed, and approach each other more closely ; 
and that thus frozen bodies should occupy less space than they did be- 
fore. Yet they certainly expand while in a freezing state : and their 
size is considerably increased: without which, it would be impossible 
for vessels containing frozen fluids to burst. Besides, how could ice 
swim, if it did not increase in bulk, and were not consequently lighter 
than water ? 

But what can be the cause of this effect ? The internal air ; for it 
is impossible that it could be produced by any external cause. It can- 
not be the cold, for this has no real being, nor positive quality ; and, 
properly speaking, cannot penetrate bodies ; and it is as certain that 
heat is not the cause of this phenomenon. The air cannot insinuate 
itself into vessels of metal or glass, sealed hermetically ; and yet ice 
forms within them. We must, therefore, seek the cause in that inter- 
nal air contained in the water. To be convinced of this, we have only 
to observe the water as soon as it begins to freeze. Scarcely is the 
first pellicle of ice formed on it before the water begins to be agitated, 
and a number of air bubbles ascend. Often this upper coat of ice rises 
in the middle and splits, and the water springs up through the cleft, 
dashes against the sides of the vessel, and, in running down, freezes. 
Hence it is, that toward the middle of the surface, the water appears 
elevated and convex. All this is the effect of the internal air ; an 
effect that could not take place, or would at least appear in a much 
less degree, if the air were exhausted as much as possible from the 
water before it began to freeze. 

On this ground, it is easy to explain a number of very singular phe- 
nomena. An intense cold is very injurious to vegetables. We know 
that the sap circulates in all plants; which, though it thickens a little 
in autumn and winter, nevertheless continues fluid. Intense cold 
converts its fluid into ice, and consequently enlarges its mass ; and 
this cannot take place without causing many of the fibres and tubes to 
burst. Novv when this takes place, it is manifest that when the sap 
becomes rarefied in spring, it cannot circulate properly ; just as the 
circulation of the blood must be stopped in an animal whose veins are 
cut. Thus the growth of the plant is not only injured, but it dies; 



DECEMBER XXI. 605 



Effects of air when confined in bodies. 



because the nutritive juice no longer circulates in its vessels. Let us 
consider, however, that this very cold, which is so prejudicial to the 
plants, is useful to the earth. A field, tilled before winter, is better 
fitted to receive the autumnal rains, which penetrate deeply into it. 
Frost succeeds; the earthy particles become dilated, and separate 
from each other : and the thaw, in spring, completes the softening of 
the earth, rendering it light, moveable, and better adapted to receive 
the genial influences of the sun in fine weather. 

Enough has been said to convince us of the power of the air ; and of 
that expansive force which is productive of so many advantages to our 
globe. The property this element has of condensing and rarefying so 
wonderfully, is the cause of the greatest revolutions in the world. It 
is but in a very few cases that the power of this fluid can become in- 
jurious : and even then the evil that it does is compensated with 
vastly superior advantages. But we must acknowledge that in this, 
as well as in a multitude of other phenomena of nature, there are 
many things which we cannot satisfactorily explain. What we know 
of the nature, properties, and effects of air, depends much on probable 
conjectures : which may be illustrated and verified in future times. 
Probably, those who may immediately follow us will discover, that on 
many points we have formed false and precipitate judgments. How 
careful should we therefore be, that when we contemplate the works 
of God in nature, we should do it in a spirit of humility and self diffi- 
dence ; always remembering the weakness of the human understand- 
ing, and the uncertainty of our opinions and systems. Presumption is 
inexcusable in every science ; but, it is absolutely foolish and ridicu- 
lous, when the knowledge of nature is in question. 



DECEMBER XXII. 

MUSIC. 

One of the most pure and innocent pleasures which we can enjoy* 
we owe to music. It possesses the power of charming our earsj 
soothing our passions, affecting our hearts, and influencing our pro- 
pensities. How often has music dissipated our gloom, quickened the 
vital spirits, and ennobled our sentiments ! An art so pleasing and 
useful well deserves our attention ; and calls upon us to employ it to 
the glory of our beneficent Creator. 

But, whence is the impression which music makes on our ears ? It 
is an effect of the air, which receives an undulatory motion, and which 
strikes our auditory nerves in a variety of ways. When a tight chord 
is pinched, its figure is changed : for, its elasticity not only causes it 
to go back to its first situation, but to extend beyond it : and thus it 
continues to vibrate back and forward, till at last it settles in that state 
of rest from which it was first drawn. These vibrations of the string are 
communicated to the air: which, in its turn, communicates them to 
other contiguous bodies. Hence it is, that when an organ is played 



DECEMBER XXII. 



Music. 



on, the strings of a lute, if near, will be put in motion, and emit 
sounds. But, whence is the difference of sounds ; and how is it that 
they are either sharp ox flat ? This cannot be attributed to the quick- 
ness of the vibrations by which the sound is propagated in the air, 
for a sharp note cannot communicate itself with more velocity than a 
flat one : nor can it be owing to the quantity of air that is put in mo- 
tion ; for a sound may be either flat or sharp, and strong or weak, at 
the same time. The difference must be from the quickness of the 
air's tremulous motion. A sonorous body emits a sharp tone, when 
the vibrations of its parts are very quick ; and a fiat tone, when these 
vibrations are slow. But, how is it that certain united sounds are har- 
monious, and charm the ear ; when others are discordant, and put us 
to pain ? All that we can say in reply, respecting the physical cha- 
racteristic of concords is, that they are produced in the same key; 
whereas, in discords, though the sounds may be emitted at the same 
time, yet they do not properly unite and blend together ; which, oc- 
casioning a double stroke on the auditory nerve, affects the mind in an 
unpleasing manner. 

But of what use would harmony be, if we could not distinguish it 
from discord? Let us praise God, who has so disposed the organs of 
hearing that we can receive and distinguish different impressions of 
sound ; and has given our souls the faculty of uniting certain ideas to 
certain corporeal sensations. How much gratitude do v^^e owe to our 
God, for the many pure and innocent pleasures vWiich he has given us 
to enjoy ! In this point, let us testify our gratitude by using music to 
the glory of his name. Let us lift up our hearts to our great Benefac- 
tor, in the most melodious sounds, and celebrate his infinite goodness 
toward us ! 



DECEMBER XXIII. 

MEN COMPARED WITH OTHER ANIMALS. 

In the comparison which we are going to make between men and 
Other animals, there will be found some things which are common to 
both ; others, in which they have the advantage over us ; and lastly, 
some in which we have the advantage over them. 

The principal resemblance between men and brutes is, that both are 
material. We have, like them, life and organized bodies, which are 
produced by generation and birth, and supported by food. Both have 
animal spirits, and strength to fulfil the different functions assigned them. 
Both have voluntary motion, the free use of their various members, or- 
gans of sense, feeling, imagination, and memory. By means of the 
senses, both can feel pleasure and pain ; desire some things and be 
averse from others. Both feel a natural propensity to self-preserva- 
tion, and the propagation of their species. Both are liable to those 
general corporeal accidents, which the connexion and different relation 
of things, the laws of motion, and the structure and organization of 
their bodies may occasicn. 



DECEMBER XXIII. 607 



Men compared with other animals. 



Relative to that pleasure which may result from the gratification of 
the senses, animals have many advantages over men. A principal one 
is, that they do not need so much clothing, instruments of defence, 
and conveniences as men : and are not obliged to invent, to learn, and 
exercise the arts necessary to procure them. 

At their birth, they bring into the world clothes, arms, and other ne- 
cessary things : or, if any thing should be wanting, they have only to 
follow their natural instinct, which is sufficient to render them happy. 
That instinct never misleads them ; and whenever their appetites are 
gratified, they are perfectly content; they desire nothing farther, and 
never run into excess. They are satisfied with the present, and take 
no trouble concerning the future : for, there is much reason to believe, 
that animals have not the faculty of representing to themselves what 
may happen. A present sensation informs them of their wants ; and 
their instinct teaches them how to supply them. These means they 
use with pleasure : they procure them what they wish ; and they en- 
joy what they get with satisfaction. They never think of the morrow ; 
they know nothing of inquietude concerning the future ; even death 
itself surprises them, without having been foreseen : and without having 
been the cause of previous affliction to them. 

In all these respects, the brute has the advantage over the man. 
Man is obliged to meditate, invent, labour, exercise himself, and receive 
instructions, without which he must remain in a continual state of 
childhood ; and could scarcely procure himself the necessaries of life. 
His instincts and passions are not sure guides : on the contrary, if he 
abandoned himself to their direction, he is sure to be miserable. Reason 
alone makes the essential difference between him and the brute ; sup- 
plies what is wanting ; and in other respects gives him prerogatives to 
which the brute creation can never attain. By means of this faculty, 
he not only acquires necessaries, conveniences, and superfluities, but 
he can multiply the pleasures of sense, can ennoble and render them 
still the more gratifying, as he knows how to govern his desires by this 
faculty. His soul tastes pleasures which are entirely unknown to 
brutes : pleasures which spring from science, wisdom, order, religion, 
and virtue ; and these pleasures infinitely surpass all these which come 
through the organs of sense : for, 1st, Far from being contrary to the 
true perfection of man, they continually increase it. 2dl)^ They never- 
forsake him ; even when his senses are deadened by sickness, old age, 
or any other circumstance ; and are become insensible to all animal 
gratification. 3dly, They cause him more and more to resemble God ; 
while, on the contrary, the more he gives himself up to the pleasures 
of sense, the more he is degraded, and the m.ore he resembles the brute. 
We may add, that the brutes are confined within a narrow sphere ; that 
their desires and propensities are but few, and consequently their 
pleasures are not greatly diversified: whereas man has an infinity of 
desires : can press every thing into his service ; and knows how to 
make every article useful in one way or other. He can continually 
add to the perfection of his nature by new discoveries : he acquires 



608 DECEMBER XXIII. 



Men compared with other animals. 



farther degrees of knowledge ; and can make unlimited progress in 
the path of perfection and happiness. But, the beasts are constantly- 
confined within a narrow compass; neither invent nor perfect any- 
thing; continue always at the same point, and never rise by applica- 
tion and exercise above animals of the same species. 

We may conclude that it is reason alone, and its consequences, 
which gives us the superiority over the brute creation; and in this the 
chief excellence of human nature consists. To use our reason, to 
ennoble the pleasures of sense, to relish intellectual delights, to 
grow continually in wisdom and holiness, these distinguish man from 
the brutes : this is the point to which he should ever direct his atten- 
tion : this is the end for which his Maker formed him. Let it be our 
grand business, our constant study, to answer this end : for happy we 
cannot be, but in proportion as we see what reason and revelation pro- 
claim to be useful and good. 



DECEMBER XXIV. 

A CALCULATION CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION. 

With what a crowd of human creatures must a single city be filled, 
on the great day of resurrection ! What prodigious multitudes will be 
spread over the whole earth ! Prodigious indeed, but not innumerable ; 
seeing each of the dead is known unto the Lord, his Judge, and the 
name of each entered in the eternal register. None shall be lost ; for 
all must appear before his judgment-seat, and none can escape the 
notice of the all-seeing God. 

Let us suppose that Germany began to be peopled about 500 years 
after the general deluge ; that is, about 3,650 years ago, and that 
from the foundation of the city of Hamburg, at the above time, to 
the general judgment, suppose it were to take place in the present 
year, there have only 200 persons been buried annually, taking one 
year with another; the number of persons would amount to 730,000 I 
if then a single city could produce so many at the day of judgment, 
how many must the w^hole German empire produce ! Admitting that 
Germany contains twenty-four millions of people, the city of Ham- 
burg could be reckoned only the three thousandth part of the whole. 
If this be the case, we may suppose, on the preceding calculation, that 
Germany will then produce 2,190 millions ! This is a prodigious num- 
her undoubtedly; and yet what is it in comparison of the produce of 
the whole earth, the present number of w^hose inhabitants is estimated 
at not less than 1000 millions ! If we fix on this number, and apply 
the same calculation as before, the total of those who have died since 
the above mentioned time must amount to 912,500 millions! If we 
now add those who have lived before the general deluge, and those 
who have died during the 500 years next following, which we may es- 
timate at one-fourth of the preceding, we shall then have a sum total 
of 1,740,625 millions ! Lastly, add all those who shill be found alive at 



DECEMBER XXIV. 609 



Calculation concerning the resurrection. 



the day of judgment, and let us fix the number at no more than 100 
millions, and the whole amount will be 1,741,625 millions ! 

Let us give full scope to our imaginations, and figure to ourselves, 
as far as possible, that this prodigious multitude shall appear in the 
last day before the Judge of the universe : how great must that in- 
telligence be, that can scrutinize the most secret thoughts of all the 
individuals of which this vast multitude is composed ; who knows 
exactly all their words, thoughts, and actions ; who perfectly remem- 
bers the day of their birth, the duration of their life upon earth, 
with the time, manner, and circumstances of their death : who shall 
be able perfectly to distinguish the scattered atoms of each ; separate, 
collect them, whether their bodies had been reduced to ashes, dis- 
solved into millions of particles, or had undergone innumerable trans- 
mutations ] What a work of Omnipotence to collect these scattered 
atoms, to purify, ennoble them, and form them into immortal bodies! 

God has informed us, by Divine Revelation, that hosts of angels shall 
gather his chosen from the four winds ; that the first sound of the trum- 
pet shall awake the bodies of saints that slept ; for those who die in 
Christ, shall rise first. (1 Cor. xv. 23.) What a pleasing employ- 
ment to the ten thousand times ten thousand thousand angels, (Psal. 
Ixviii. 17,) to collect their well-beloved brethren^ and present them to 
Christ ! And what transporting joy must it be for the myriads of blessed 
spirits, whom God had gathered into his bosom, to find again those 
bodies which they had left behmd, pale, ghastly, disfigured by suffer- 
ings, mutilated by acts of violence, or consumed by fire ; to find them 
again, 1 say, clothed with celestial beauty and splendour, like those of 
the holy angels ; as light, as strong, and as radiant ! Such bodies shall 
never mere be, as they were formerly, hindrances to the spirit ; but 
shall be in every respect, adapted to the employment of a state of eter- 
nal beatitude. With what transport may we figure to ourselves the 
surprise and inefiable sensations of the elect at the sight of this mi-* 
raculous change. 



DECEMBER XXV. 

REFLECTIONS ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST. 

What sentiments of joy, gratitude, and love, should the Christian 
feel, who, on this day, celebrates the nativity of Christ ! But how 
greai, should our surprise be, when we reflect on the circumstances 
which accompanied this great event ! We see a son of man in the 
lower state of humiliation ; and this Son of Man is our God ! We 
behold the strong God, the Invisible, by whose word the heavens and 
the earth were made, and by whose w^ord they shall be destroyed : and 
we see, at the same time, a visible being, weak, and clothed in fiesh 
like our own ! How wonderful is this union ! The King of kings, 
whom the angels adore, appears in the form of a servant ! He is an 
infant, weak, destitute, shedding tears, and lying in a manger I What 

77 



610 DECEMBER XXIV. 



Calculation concerning the resurrection. 



an astonishing humiliation ! Human nature, so limited and corrupt, 
raised by Jesus Christ to an eternal throne of glory ! What an asto- 
nishing change ! But can we at all comprehend the greatness of the 
Divine mercy ? Or, rather, should not the astonishment and admira- 
tion with which we are inspired when viewing it, be redoubled, while 
reflecting on oar own unworthiness, and the infinite majesty of Him 
who came to our relief ? This is a manifestation of love which infi- 
nitely surpasses all that we can merit : a love which exceeds all that 
we could either hope for, or conceive ; a love, at the contemplation of 
which, we can only admire, adore, and be silent. 

But if our admiration be great, should not our hope be equally so ? 
In the Saviour incarnated, we see the glorious sign of the new covenant 
which God has made with man. In this we see how faithful God is 
to his promises, seeing he has given his Son for the life of the world. 
And, should we not expect that whatever God has promised in his 
name shall be accomplished with the same fidelity? Jesus Christ 
would never have honoured our nature so far as to have united it so 
intimately to himself, had he not designed to pardon our iniquities, 
heal our infirmities, wash out our stains, and restore the nature of man 
to its original purity and innocence. What confidence should we 
therefore have in the love of our heavenly Father ! He has already 
given us proofs of an inconceivable love : and will he not with Christ 
freely give us all things ? What can he refuse to grant to our earnest 
prayers, who has already given us his most precious gifts without our 
having even requested them ? And, may Ave not have the greatest 
confidence in him, who became man for our sakes ? If God be in 
Christ, he wall certainly accomplish all that he designed by coming 
into the world. He will put all our enemies under his feet ; he will 
blot out all our iniquities, and his almighty hand will open the gates 
of heaven for our reception. If we consecrate our souls to him, he will 
snatch us from that abyss of vice in which w^e have been immersed ; 
and give us power to overcome the world and sin : we shall be made 
new creatures, holy and glorious like himself. 

Can any thing be more just and rational, than our giving up our- 
selves, on this solemn day, to sentiments of gratitade and joy ? Can 
love be repaid but by love ? It is true, that the love of God, our 
Saviour, toward us, is inestimable, and that our's must ever be infi- 
nitely less than his : but, let us exert all the powers he has given, and 
love him with all that fervour with which his grace is ready to inspire 
us. This sincere love, though weak, will be pleasing in his sight. 
The love of Christ will induce us to seek, in him, our happiness and 
joy ; and the contemplation of his mercy will be our most delightful 
employ. We shall seek nothing with so much fervour as to keep up 
a holy communion with him by faith. Full of zeal for his glory, we 
shall avoid and abhor every thing which might defile our souls, or ren- 
der them displeasing to the Divine Redeemer. Let us dedicate our 
lives to him, and only expect a continuance of his favour while walk- 
ing according to his holy precepts. Yes, blessed Redeemer, to thee 



DECEMBER XXV. 611 



Reflections on the nativity of Christ. 



alone should we consecrate our bodies and souls : to thee we should 
sacriiSce every wish ! At thy manger we should learn to renounce 
ourselves, to abhor pride, and to suffer (if necessary for our neighbour's 
good) inconvenience, humiliation, and distress. 

Such are the sentiments with which those who are called Chris- 
tians ought to celebrate the nativity of Christ. Every joyous emo- 
tioti should have its origin in the deepest conviction of the great truths 
of our religion. Let not our admiration be the fruit of ignorance, but 
of an enlightened conviction. To this end, let us deeply and seriously 
reflect on the wonders of divine grace ; if not to fathom their depthsj 
yet to get a deeper knowledge of their nature and certainty. And, if 
the greatness of the wisdom of God, and his immense love, astonish, 
and confound us, let them also excite in our hearts a profound venera- 
tion for him who dwells in the heavens, and a humble opinion of our 
own weakness. Let us take heed that out hope be not the effect of a 
blir.d persuasion. If it be the offspring of unfeigned faith, what sweet 
consolation, what celestial joy will it diffuse through our hearts ! 
Then, assisted by faith's victorious power, we shall surmount all the 
difficulties of life : nothing shall be able to rob us of our joy : nothing 
be able to destroy our felicity. Lastly, let not our love for Christ be 
ever separated from the most lively gratitude ; let us endeavour, inces- 
santly endeavour, to offer the sacrifice of a pure heart and holy life to 
him who has done so much for us. " What can we render thee, O 
our great Benefactor, for so much love ! Thou hast united us to God : 
thou hast purchased salvation and life ! Lord, accept the homage of 
all we have, and all we are ! Receive the sacrifice of our bodies and 
spirits, which both belong to thee !" 



DECEMBER XXVL 

THE PLACE OF CHRIST's NATIVITY. 

At first sight it seems of little consequence to know the place of 
Christ's nativity ; for we should consider him as our Redeemer, what- 
ever the circumstances might be which attended his mortal life. But, 
seeino- it has pleased God to announce, beforehand, the place where 
the Saviour of the world should be born, it became necessary that it 
should happen precisely in that place ; and that this should be one of 
the characteristics whereby Jesus Christ should be known to be the 
true Messiah. 

It is also a m.atter of small importance to us where we may live ; 
provided we find genuine happiness. There i& no place on earth, how- 
ever poor and despicable, but may have better, and more happy inha- 
bitants, than many of those are who dwell in the largest and most 
celebrated cities. Do we know a single place on the whole globe, 
where the works of God do not appear under, a thousand different 
forms : and where a person may not feel that blessed satis/action which 
arises from a holy and Christian life ? For an individual, that place 



612 DECEMBER XXVI. 



Place of Christ's nativity. 



is preferable to all others, where he can get and do most good. For 
a number of people, that place is best where they can find the greatest 
number of wise and pious men. Every nation declines in proportion 
as virtue and religion lose their influence on the minds of the inhabit- 
ants. The place where a young man first beheld the dawn and the 
beauty of renewed nature, and with most lively sensations of joy and 
gratitude adored his God with all the veneration and love his heart was 
capable of; the place where a virtuous couple first met and got ac- 
quainted ; or where two friends gave each other the noblest proofs of 
their most tender affection ; the village where one may have himself 
given or seen the most remarkable example of goodness, uprightness, 
or patience ; such places, I say, must be dear to their hearts. 

Bethlehem, according to this rule, was, notwithstanding its smallness, 
a m.ost venerable place ; seeing there, so many pious people had their 
abode ; and that acts of peculiar piety had often been performed in it. 
First the patriarch Jacob stopped sometime in it, to erect a monument 
to his well-beloved Rachel. It was at Bethlehem that honest Naomi, 
and her modest daughter-in-law Ruth, gave such proofs of their faith 
and holiness : and in it Boaz, the generous benefactor, had his abode 
and his possessions. At Bethlehem the humble Jesse sojourned, the 
happy father of so many sons ; the youngest of whom rose from the 
pastoral life to the throne of Israel. It was in this country that David 
formed the resolution of building a huuse for the Lord : and in which 
he showed himself the true shepherd and father of his subjects, when 
at the sight of the destroying angel, whose sword spread consternation 
and death on all hands, he made intercession for his people. It was in 
Bethlehem that Zeruhahel, the prince, was born ; this descendant of 
David, who was the type of that Ruler and Shepherd under whose em- 
pire Israelis one day to assemble, in order to enjoy unmterrupted hap- 
piness. Lastly, in this city the Son of God appeared ; who, by his 
birth, laid the foundation of that salvation which, as Redeemer, he 
was to purchase by his death for the whole world. Thus in places 
which from their smallness are entitled to little notice, men sometimes 
spring, who become the benefactors of the human race. Often, an in- 
considerable village has given birth to a man who, by his wisdom, up- 
rightness, or heroism, has been a blessing to whole kingdoms. 

It is our business so to live in our cities or villages, th:U the end for 
which Jesus Christ was born may be accomplished in us. It is certain 
that genuine piety would make the most rapid progress in the earth, if 
every where men endeavoured to give proofs of innocent manners, 
and fervent faith ; and become models of patience, diligence and up- 
rightness. If our cities furnished a greater number of virtuous exam- 
ples, their influence would soon become extended to the inhabitants of 
the country : and in the smallest villages or hamlets we should see 
persons who, like Joseph and Mary, were distinguished by their piety ; 
and would attract the respect of the wise and good, though living in 
the depth of |>overty and abasement. God would shed his blessings 
over the country c.f these good people ; and in some generations might 



DECEMBER XXVI. 613 



Place of Christ's nativity. 



we not hope to see a people formed, full of the fear of the Lord, and 
diligently walking in his ways. 

He who has travelled most over the world, who has visited cities, the 
dwelling places of kings ; and who has been a witness of the various 
crimes committed there; has he not cause to be thankful to God, if at 
last he find a town or village where, in a peaceful cot, encompassed 
with quiet neighbours, he may consecrate himself entirely to the ser- 
vice of God and the good of man, and thus arrive at that genuine hap- 
piness which flows from peace and serenity of soul ? He will not then 
regret that he lives not in places, more magnificent indeed, but where 
sensual pleasure spreads all its snares; more superb, but where vice 
has its throne ; more rich, but where the inhabitants live in forgetful- 
ness of God, and the duties they ought to perform. To these he will 
prefer an obscure retreat; where, sheltered from cutting remorse, he 
may spend his days in tranquillity and joy. 



DECEMBER XXVII. 

THE CARE WHICH GOD TAKES OF JTEN FROM THEIR BIRTH. 

What a multitude of wants ha^-e we the moment we are born ! It 
is with great agony, and through the assistance of others, that we are 
brought into the world ; a^J we should have speedily lost the life we 
began to live, had not a. variety of things, relative to our clothing and 
nourishment, been provided beforehand ; and had we not found persons 
who condescended to take care of us in that state of weakness in which 
we were totally destitute of all things : or rather, if our heavenly Fa- 
ther had not watched over our preservation. He took care of us w^ien 
we were in our mother's womb ; where no human wisdom or diligence 
could have provided for us. His hands formed, arranged, and connect- 
ed all the members of our bodies. He pointed out the veins the course 
they should run, and filled them with the vital fluid. He has clothed 
us with skin and Jlesh, and fenced us with hones and sinews. Job x. 2. 
We were a shapeless mass; but the Almighty fashioned us; and uni- 
ting a rational and intelligent spirit with our bodies, he made a human 
creature worthy of himself, for he stamped it with his own image. The 
same kind Providence v/hich presided over our formation, has never 
forgotten us ; but continued to Avatch over us with paternal care. At 
our entrance into 'the world, we \vere provided with tender and faithful 
friends, who received us with extraordinary affection, and who spared 
neither trouble nor expense to do us good: these faithful friends were 
our parents. What miserable creatures must v.^e have been, had not 
our heavenly Father inspired them with such disinterested love for us ! 
But, could even this love have availed, had these parents been destitute 
of the means to assist us ? The more they loved us, the more insup- 
portable their indigence would have been : and the more miserable 
they m.ust have felt, while destitute of the power to supply our wants. 
But God look care that they should have every thing that was neces- 
sary^ for us. precisely at the "tim.e in which it was neerled. 



614 DECEMBER XXVII. 



Tlie care which God takes of men from their birth. 



But the tender care of the lord extended far beyond the moment 
of our birth. He then laid the foundation of our future happiness. 
Poor and despicable creatures, v.e neither knew, nor could know, at 
that time, what our lot should be. But all was perfectly known to 
him. He saw the whole of our life, with the future and contingent 
events which concerned it : together with all their consequences and 
references. He knew what would be most advantageous to us, re- 
gulated our lot accordingly, and determined, at the same time, on the 
means which he purposed to employ in order to procure us that fe- 
licity which his mercy designed. From our birth, the causes existed 
which were to influence our future happiness; and began then to act 
conformably to the divine views. How much did the happiness of 
our lives depend on our parents : their manner of thinking, their 
circumstances in life, their connexions, &c. ! How much did the 
education we received, the examples we had before us, the connex- 
ions we formed, the opportunities we had of exercising our powers, 
and unfolding our idents, influence the happiness of our whole life ! 

And did not the wisdpm and goodness of God our Father appoint, 
regulate, aiid conduct every advantageous circumstance ? We could 
not choose our owai parents, nor appoint their situation in. life. The 
choice of the masters and friends we had in our youth, did not de- 
pend wholly on our parents ; and whatever their prudence and atten- 
tion might have been, they themselves were dependent on circum- 
stances and opportunities. It was God who rivanaged all those con- 
junctures which have proved so advantageous lo us. It was he 
who watched over our happiness ; and who, in his great goodness, 
directed and controlled all events which might prove favourable or 
unfavourable to our well being. He foresaw and determined every 
thing ; and all his dispensations toward us were acts of wisdom and 
mercy. He knew what adversities would be useful to us ; and ap- 
pointed what their sources should be ; when they should begin, when 
they should end, and the advantages we should derive from them. 
All these causes acted for some time in secret : by de'grees they 
were developed : and in many instances we have already seen how 
necessary our josses and afflictions were to our welfare. But they 
could not have had these salutary effects without the concurrence of 
many causes which acted remotely a long time before, and were ut- 
terly unknown to us. In a word, the Divine goodness has wisely 
directed all the events of our life, so as to be most beneficial to us. 

These reflections should fill our souls with confidence and tran- 
quillity. What can be more consolatory, than to be persuaded that 
an invisible Being takes care of us : a Being who is infinitely good, 
wise, and powerful : who has watched over us from the moment of 
our birth ; and who, from that hour, determined and regulated every 
thing necessary for us during the course of our lives : who has 
counted our days, and fixed the term of our life, so that no human 
power can change it : and who, from the first moment of our exist- 
ence, has provided every thing' necessary for our present and eter- 



DECEMBER XXVII. eiS 



Tlie care which God takes of men from their birth. 

nal happiness ? The confidence and peace which rest on this basis 
must be immoveable. 



DECEMBER XXVIII. 

THE TERM OF HUMAN LIFE. 

Every man dies precisely at the time that God has appointed in 
his eternal wisdom. As the time of our birth is fixed, so also is the 
time of our death. But the term of our life is not subject to fatality : 
nor inevitable necessity: such things have no existence. All that 
occurs, may happen sooner or later, or not take place at all. And it 
is always possible, that the man who died to-day might have died 
sooner, or might have lived a much Inng-pr timo God has not fixed 
man's days by an arbitrary, or absolute decree, without taking in the 
circumstances in which he might be found. He is an infinitely wise 
Being, who never acts but from motives worthy of himself. He 
therefore must have just reason to induce him to determine, that such 
a man should leave the world at such a time, rather that at another. 
But although the term of life be in itself neither influenced by ne- 
cessity Hor fatality, it is nevertheless certain, and can never be 
really changed. 

When man dies, there are always some causes which infallibly lead 
to his death : but these may be always suspended, or changed by 
the Supreme Being. One dies of a mortal disease : another by a 
sudden and unforeseen accident. One perishes by fire : another by 
water. God has foreseen all these causes ; nor is he an idle and in- 
different spectator in the business ; he has examined them all with 
care ; he has compared them with his own purposes : and sees whe- 
ther he can approve them or not. If approved, they are conse- 
quently determined ; and, in that case, there exists a divine decree, 
in virtue of which the man dies of such and such an accident, and in 
such a particular tim.e. This decree can neither be revoked nor 
prevented ; for the same reasons which God has at present for re- 
moving a man from this world, were known to him from all eternity : 
and he formed the same judgment then of it which he has now. 
What, therefore, should induce him to alter his purpose ? 

But, it may so happen, that God, foreseeing the causes of the 
death of a particular person, did not approve of them. In this case 
he must, at least, have determined to permit them, without which 
they could not take place, nor could the man die. But, if the per- 
mission of those causes of death were resolved on, God wills there- 
fore that we should die in the time in which those causes shall exist. 
It is possible, that he might have been inclined to grant us longer 
life; and did not approve the cause of our death: but it was not 
consistent with his wisdom to counteract the operation of those cau- 
ses. He views the universe collectively, and finds reasons to induce 



616 DECEMBER XXVIII. 



The term of human life. 



him to permit the death of a certain person at a particular lime ^ 
although he approve not the causes, manner, and circumstances of 
that death. His wisdom finds means to direct that death to the most 
useful purposes ; or, he foresaw that a longer life, in that person's 
circumstances, would neither be useful to himself nor to the world : 
or, lastly, he saw, that in order to prevent that death, there must be 
a new and different combination of things : a combination which could 
not accord with the general plan of the universe, and which would 
have prevented a greater good from taking place. In a word, although 
God may sometimes disapprove the causes of a man's death, he has, 
nevertheless, wise and just reasons to permit them to take place ; 
and consequently to purpose that the man shall die at that time, and 
by those means. 

These considerations are calculated to make us look on death with 
Christian fortitude. What renders death formidable is, chiefly, the 
uncertainty of the manner and time of our leaving the world. If 
we knew beforehand when, and what manner of death we should 
die, we should probably wait for it with more courage, and fear it 
less in its approaches. Now, nothing can be more efficacious to calm 
and strengthen our mind than the persuasion, that Divine Providence 
watches over our lives : and that from the foundation of the world 
he has deteimined, with infinite wisdom and goodness, the time, man- 
ner, and circumstances of our death. The term of our lives is there- 
fore appointed ; and no man can die sooner or later than God has 
determined, for the good even of the person himself; for each per- 
son dies precisely at the time in which it is most to his own advan- 
tage. An Almighty Providence watches over our days : it lengthens 
or shortens them as it judges will be most profitable to the children 
of God ; not only in reference to this world, but also in reference to 
eternity. Fully persuaded of this consolatory truth, we may wait 
for death with a tranquil mind ; and seeing the hour is uncertain, let 
us be found constantly ready to meet it. It certainly will not appear 
till God judges it most expedient. It is true, we know not what kind 
of death v/e shall die, nor the circumstances of it ; but, it is suffi-^ 
cient to know, that we cannot die but in that way in which the bene- 
ficent Governor of the world sees it will be best for ourselves, and 
for all those who appertain to us. Fortified by this thought, let us 
proceed without anxiety on our earthly pilgrimage ; let us cheer- 
fully submit to all the dispensations of Providence, and never fear 
any danger to which the performance of our duty may expose us. 



DECEMBER XXIX. 



THE INSTABILITY OF EARTHLY THINGS. 



There is nothing in nature whose state and mode of being is not 
liable to change. Every thing is the sport of frailty and inconstan-? 



DECEMBER XXIX. 617 



The instability of earthly things. 



cy : and nothing is so durable as to continue always like itself. The 
most solid bodies are not so impenetrable, nor their parts so closely 
connected, as to be exempt from dissolution and destruction. Every 
panicle of matter changes its form insensibly. How many changes 
have our bodies undergone since they were formed in our mother's 
womb ! We annually lose something of what we formerly were ; 
and gain as many new particles from the animal, vegetable, or mi- 
neral kingdom. Every thing on earth increases and decreases by 
turns ; but with this difference, that these changes do not operate so 
speedily in some bodies as in others. 

The celestial bodies appear now the same that they were from the 
beginning ; and these are probably the most invariable of all bodies. 
Nevertheless, accurate observers have noticed, that certain stars have 
disappeared, and the variableness of the spots on the sun's face 
prove, that even that luminary is, in some respects, subject to the 
general law of mutability. Besides, his motion renders him subject 
to several variations ; and although he is never extinct, yet he has 
been often obscured by fogs, clouds, and perhaps by internal revolu- 
tions also. This is all that we can know, in the almost immeasura- 
ble distance we are from him. How many other changes, both ex- 
ternal, and internal, might present themselves to our eyes, were we 
near enough to that luminary, we cannot tell. If the instability of 
tererstrial things strikes us more, this is because we are so nigh them. 
And how frail are they ! And how subject to change ! The object 
continues to resemble itself; and, nevertheless, it is different from 
what it once was. We daily see the things here below under new 
forms ; some increase, others diminish and perish. 

The year which will come to its close in about two days, has fur- 
nished us with incontestable proofs of this. Even in the little circle 
in which we are confined, how many revolutions have taken place I 
Many of those whom we have known for many years, are no more. 
Many whom we have known to be rich, are now become poor : or, 
at least, reduced to straitened circumstances. And, if we examine 
ourselves, shall we not find that, in many respects, we also have been 
changed. Have not our health and activity suffered considerable de- 
crease ? And do not all these alterations indicate that the great and 
last revolution which death shall work in us is at hand? Besides, 
how many things may happen in this and the two following days of 
this year! We may become poorer than we are; be attacked by 
sickness; experience the unfaithfulness of reputed friends; or even 
die in this short space of time : at least it is certain, that circumstan- 
ces may occur which it was absolutely impossible for us to foresee. 

Reflections of this nature might well distress us, or even drive us 
to despair, if we could not derive support and consolation from reli- 
gion ; but this leads us to the only, invariable, and eternal Being, 
whose very nature is unchangeable. This immutable Being must be, 
to eternity, just what he is. Therefore his mercy endures for ever; 
and his righteousness from generation to generation. May this truth 



618 DECEMBEE XXIX. 



The instability of earthly things. 



be ever present with us, that it may soften the disagreeable vicissi- 
tudes which we continually meet with here below ! How happy will 
it be for us, if all these revolutions which days, years, and times 
bring with them, lead us nearer to the Supreme Good ; and to the 
state of everlasting glory and felicity ! " Thus, full of confidence in 
his invariable goodness, we will submit, with resignation, to all the 
changes and chances of this mortal life ; all our souls shall rejoice in 
him, who is the immutable Being, our Light, our Rock, and our sure 
Defence." 



DECEMBER XXX. 

HOW TIME IS GENERALLY EMPLOYED. 

The approaching close of the year should lead us to make some 
reflections, which, however important, do not always occupy us as 
they ought. In order to tell more sensibly how short the cour.-.a of 
our life is, let us now examine how we have spent the days that are 
past ; though we have much reason to believe this will be to us a 
subject of humiliation and confusion. 

Let us first consider those days, to regulate the use of which was 
utterly out of our power. How many hours of this year have we 
employed in eating, drinking, and sleeping; in a word, in caring for 
the body, and providing for its various necessities ! How many hours 
more have been spent in almost useless occupations, or at least such 
as were of no use to our immortal souls ! For instance, in unneces- 
sary journeys, in disagreeable company, and in long and fatiguing 
meals I How many hours have we spent in uncertainty, and conse- 
quently in inaction ? How much time have we lost in examining in- 
tricate questions, and embarrassed affairs, weighing the ^ro^ and cons 
before we resolved to act in certain important matters ? And how 
many hours have we lost in the expectation of particular advantages ? 
Thus, in taking but even a superficial view of the use we have made 
of this, year, we find that a multitude of days have been lost to that 
immortal spirit which inhabits this clay tenement : and after the de- 
duction, how little remains of the year which we can say has been 
employed for real life ? It is evident that out of .365 days, there are 
scarcely 50 of which we can say, " These are ours : we have em- 
ployed them in the great interests of our souls, and in the acquisition 
of eternal felicity." And, of this small remaining number of days, 
how many hours have we lost by our folly or frailty ! Alas ! how 
much time has been sacrificed to vice, or tainted by sin I God of 
mercy ! how humiliating is this thought ! How proper to confound 
us ! On this subject, nothing but the ever salutar^ doctrine of the 
merit of thy Son can calm our terror, or snatch us from eternal mi- 
sery ! 

How many of those hours which the paternal love of God gave 
us to be employed in our eternal interests, have been foolishly Ia»- 



DECEMBER XXX. 619 



How time is generally employed. 



vished away, and that with the blackest ingratitude ! Precious hours ! 
during which, alas, we have wandered far from this most compas- 
sionate and best of parents ! Can we not reckon many hours which 
we have sacrificed to the world, to vanity, to indolence, to false 
pleasures ; which we have profaned by impurit\% envy, jealousy, 
backbiting, and other vices, which betray a heart destitute of proper 
love and respect to God ; and of charity to our neighbour ? And 
have Ave never spent any of that time which we should have em- 
ployed in advancing the kingdom of Christ, in opposition to the di- 
vine counsels, in disturbing the peace of society, and distracting his 
church ? And even since God has brought us to a better mind, and 
inspired us with a desire to walk in his ways, how many days have 
we irrecoverably lost which should have been employed in that re- 
ligion which v/as our glory, and which pointed out the path that led 
to eternal happiness ! How have we been injured by distractions, 
coldness, barrenness of soul, doubts, inquietudes, want of tem.per, 
and impurity of mind ! These, and many other infirmities, the con- 
sequences of improper conduct, the frailty of the body, the weak- 
ness of the mind, or the strength of old habits, have often disgraced 
those who have made some considerable progress in the ways of God. 
Now, by all these things, our piety is injured, the progress of our 
happiness retarded, and our graces either weakened or destroyed ! 
Lastly, with what speed does the little portion of time which we can 
dispose of, fly away ! A year is gone, and we have scarcely per- 
ceived it ! And what importance is a year to a being Vv'hose real life 
may be reckoned by hours! We have scarcely thought seriously of 
it, till another year is slipt by. Had we employed this year in the 
work of our salvation, we should not desire to recall it either in whole 
or in part. But, now that we find so little of it has been spent in the 
great purposes for which it was given, we wish to recall that part at 
least of which we have made the worst use : but it is in vain : the 
year closes — and all the good and bad actions which have marked it 
are swallowed up in eternity ! 

Father of mercies, reconcile us to thyself by Christ Jesus; and 
grant that this mispent year may not become a subject of anguish to 
ns on our death-bed, nor the cause of our perdition through eterni- 
ty ! Pardon, pardon all sins which we have this year unhappily 
committed against thee! And grant us mercy! — mercy, at the hour 
of death; mercy, in the day of judgment; and mercy through all 
eternity ! 



DECEMBER XXXI. 

A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. 

Lord ! thou art the God of time : thou art also God of eternity ! 
I will sing a joyous hymn to thy praise : I will celebrate thy holy 
name, A vear is finishing its course. To what do I owe the conti- 



620 DECEMBER XXXI. 



A hymn of thanksgiving. 



nuation of my existence ? It is to thy grace alone, and to thy paternal 
bounty^ 

Being of beings ! receive my adoration ! Everlasting Lord, thou 
canst not vary ; but as for us, poor and feeble mortals, we have been, 
are now, and shall be dust. Thou alone art incapable of chaiige. 
Thou hast been, thou art, and thou shalt be to eternity ! 

Lord, thy faithfulness endures from generation to generation : thy 
mercy is new every morning : there is not a moment of my life in 
which thou hast not given me some new blessing. 

Thou hast led me by thy fatherly care through the year which 
is now ending. When my heart became a prey to anxiety and dis- 
tress, thou didst pour out thy consolations, and didst haste to my suc- 
cour. I will praise thee ! I will exalt thee, from the ground of my 
heart ; I will cast myself anew on thy unerring guidance and merci- 
ful support ! 

Pardon, O my God ! Pardon the innumerable offences which I 
have committed against thee in the days that are past ! And let me 
once more, for the sake of Jesus, experience thy paternal support ! 
Teach me to do thy will ; teach me to please thee as long as I live I 

Inspire me with new zeal, and grant me new strength to walk be- 
fore thee in the paths of righteousness ! Make me attentive to thy 
voice in my conscience ! Quicken and sanctify my heart by thy Spi- 
rit ; that being filled with love, and detached from the world, it may 
ever be united unto thee, thou Sovereign Good ! 

The world and its enjoyments flee away : in it, therefore, I should 
see no happiness. Even here below, 1 may aspire after pure joys. 
I am related to angels : my patrimony is heaven : grant, God, that 
I may incessantly aspire after it ! 

O my God, teach me to redeem the time, and to walk with holy 
circumspection in the way which leads to eternity ! Condescend to 
alleviate the burden of life, till I reach that happy period in which I 
shall rest from my labours, and my repose be interrupted no more ! 
Amen. 



FINIS. 



1 



INDEX 



Page. 
A Meditation for New Year's day . .17 
The blessings which God grants in win- 
ter, to which we pay too little atten- 
tion 18 

The daily proofs which God gives vis of 

his providence 20 

The different uses of fire . . .21 
Winter amusements . . . .22 
God's providential care of animals du- 
ring winter 24 

The charms of winter . . . .26 
Of the vegetables which preserve their 

verdure in winter . . . .28 
The singular state of man when asleep 29 
The advantages of the climate where we 

dwell - 31 

The fertility which snow communicates 

to the earth ... . . 32 

Contemplation on the starry heavens 34 
Discoveries which have been made by 

the microscope ... .36 

The advantages of night . - . 38 
Reflections on myself . . . .39 
The damage occasioned by extraordina- 
ry cold . . . . .41 
Nature's rest during winter . . 42 
The Laplanders . . . .43 
The wise construction of our globe . 45 
Short meditation on the works of God 

taken from the Sacred Writings • 47 

The wonders of the human voice . 49 

The duty of self-edification in winter . 50 
The fear of apparitions . . .52 

Of subterraneous fires . . .53 

Of comets . . - . .54 

Formation of snow . . .56 

The rapidity with which human life 

passes away . . . .57 

Of that species of hoarfrost seen on win- 
dows . . • . .59 
The utility of bread . . .60 
Of our duty in respect to sleep . .61 
The revolutions which are constantly 

carried on in nature . . .63 

Everj-- thing in nature tends to the good 

of mankind . . • .64 

The influence which cold has upon 

health . . . • -66 

A. constant equality of temperature 

would not be beneficial to the earth . 67 
riie utility of the stars . . .69 

The wonderful structure of the eye . 71 

The fog 73 

The flux and reflux of the sea . . 74 

The sun does not always appear . 76 

The earthquake . . . .77 

The established order of God relative to 

the life and death of man . . 79 

Reflections upon ice . . • 81 

The spherical figure of our earth . 82 

On the short duration of the snow . 84 

An epitome of the histoiy of creation . 85 
Bodily advantages which the brute cre- 
ation have over man . • .87 



Page. 

The moon . . . . .88 

Rain moistens and fertilizes the earth . 90 
Emblems of deatli with which winter 

presents us , . . .91 

Means to procure fire . . .93 

The equal distribution of the seasons . 94 
The use of our senses . . .95 

Aspirations of the soul to God . . 97 

Causes of heat and cold . . - 98 

Singularities in the mineral kingdom . 100 
Daily and experimental proofs of Divine 

providence . . . .101 

The tranquillity of the night . . 102 

Winter is an emblem of life . .104 

The utility of mountains . . .105 

Motives for confidence in God . . 107 

An invitation to contemplate God In the 

works of natui-e . . . 108 

Bad weather . . - .110 

The state of certain animals during 

winter . , . . .Ill 

Winds and tempests . . .113 

The aurora borealis . - .114 

The extreme smallness of certain bodies 116 
Winter withdraws gi-adually . . 1 17 

The external parts of the human body 119 
The hope of spring . . .120 

Hoarfrost . . . . .122 

Means which contribute to fertilize the 

earth . . . . .123 

The advantages which we derive from 

the sea ..... 124 
The difference between plants and ani- 
mals ..... 125 
Uniformity and variety in the works of 

nature ..... 127 
Of seeds . . . . .129 

The magnitude and distance of the sun 131 
Tlie imperfection of our knowledge in 

natural things .... 132 
Tlie utility of vegetables . . 134 

The structure of the human heart . 135 
The change of seasons . . . 137 

Of several things which appear useless 138 
The harmony which subsists between 

the natural and moral world . .140 

Nature and properties of air . . 142 

There is nothing new under the sun . 143 
Caves in the mountains . . . 144 

The circulation of the sap in trees . 145 
Our ignorance of futurity . .147 

The gradual approach of night . . 149 

The magnificence of God in his works . 150 
The order of the seasons in the other 

planets . . . . .151 

The paternal care of Providence for the 

preservation of human life m every 

part of the world . . .152 

A hymn of praise . . . 154 

A hym.n for spring . . .155 

Abuse of animals .... 156 
The motion of the eai-th . . .168 

The abundant riches of nature . . 160 

The rising of the Sim . . .161 



622 



INDEX. 



Page. 
The wonderful construction of the ear 162 
The galaxy, or milky way . .164 

Reflections on the seeds of p] ants . 165 

The azure colour of the sky . . 167 

The utility and necessity of the air . 168 
Different soils . . . .169 

The necessity of rest by night . . 171 

Tire magnitude of our globe . .172 

Generation of birds . . .174 

Prognostics of tire weather . . 175 

The position of the sun . . .176 

The permanency of corporeal beings . 178 
The utility of rain . . .179 

Of respiration . . , .181 

Proofs of the goodness of God from the 

works of creation . . .182 

Beneficial influence of the sun's heat . 183 
llelations which all creatures have to 

each other . . . .185 

The constituent parts of water . . 187 

Of the propagation of plants . . 188 

Diversity of features in the human face 190 
God's universal care of his creatures . 191 
April flowers . . . .192 

Return of the birds . . .194 

The utility of forests . . .195 

Pleasures which the contemplation of 

nature affords .... 197 
The brute creation should lead men to 

glorify God . . . .198 

A hymn of praise for the works of crea- 
tion . . . . .200 
The same in verse . . .201 
A hymvi on the beauties of spring . 203 
The system of tire world . . . ib. 
Reflections on the blossoms of trees . 205 
The continual revolutions and changes 

which take place in the earth . 207 

An invitation to seek God in tlie works 

of nature . . . .209 

The dawn . . . . .210 

Tlie wonders of vision . . .212 

Spring renews the face of the earth . 214 
The germination of seeds . .215 

The chick in the egg . . .216 

On the buds of flowers . . .218 

The indefatigable labours of the bee . 219 
Hov/ God has provided for the nourish- 
ment of animals . . . 221 
The senses of animals . . . 223 
Regularity in the succession of flowers 225 
The zoophiles .... 220 
The pleasures of agriculture and gar- 
dening ..... 228 
The tulip . , . . . .229 
Reflections on grass . . . 231 
Sentiments excited by the contempla- 
tion of the heavens . . . 232 
The fecundity of plants . . .234 
A df'scription of the beauties of spring . 235 
The language of animals . 237 
The number and magnitude of terrestri- 
al creatures .... 239 
Spring is a picture of the frailty of hu- 
man life, and an emblem of death . 240 
Spring is an emblem of the resurrection 

of the body .... 242 

The attractive power of bodies . .243 

Com.plaints of men relative to certain 

mconveniencies in the laws of nature 245 
Sins to which we are paiticularly prone 

In the spring .... 247 
The harmony and patriotism of bees . 248 



Page 

The prodigious number of plants on the 
earth ..... 250 

The plurality of worlds . . .251 

A hymn of thanksgiving . , 252 

A hy jnn of praise to the- Creator . 254 

Difference between the works of nature 

and art . . . . , 255 

The leaves of trees . . . 256 

The vivifying power of the sun . . 258 

The desires of the soul are infinite . .259 
The utility of rivers . . . 261 

The variety of flowers . . . 263 

The utility of venomous plants and ani- 
mals . . . . . 264 
The odour or eflauvia of flowers . 266 
The multitude of animals . . 267 
Immensity of the firmament . . 269 
Peculiarities of the vegetable kingdom . 271 
Means of happiness which we find in 

nature ..... 273 
The loadstone, or magnet . . 274 

Cherries ..... 276 
The wisdom observable in the construc- 
tion of the bodies of animals . . 277 
The dew . . , . .280 
Life and labours of the bee . .282 
The external parts of plants. , .283 
A hynm of thanksgiving for the works 

of creation .... 285 

Caterpillars , . . 286 

The beginning of summer . 288 

The nightingale .... 289 
The pleasures which summer affords to 

our senses .... 291 

A sketch of the inward parts of the hu- 
man body • . . . 292 
The electric fluid .... 295 
The manner in which thunder is for- 
med . ' . . . .296 
Herrings ..... 298 
Eclipses of the stzn and moon . . 299 
The stalk of wheat . . . 30O 
The blight , , . . .302 
A hymn on the wisdom of God . . 303 
A hymn in praise of the Author of na- 
ture ..... 304 
The same in verse . . 305 
Foreign plants .... 306 
The metamorphoses of the caterpillar . 308 
The silkworm .... 309 
The rainbow . . . . .311 
Bird's nests .... 312 
Nature an unfailingsource of pleasure . 314 
Reflections on a flower garden . .316 
The phenomena of a thunder storm . 317 
The ants ..... 319 
The hail ..... 321 
The utility of storms . . .322 
Reflections on the earth, and its original 

constitution .... 324 
The phases of the moon . . . 325 

Mineral waters .... 327 
The continual activity of nature in the 

vegetable kingdom . , , 32S 

The beauty and utility of meadows and 

fields . . . . .330 

The morning twilight . , . 332 

The pleasures of the country. . . 334 

The evening twilight . . . ib. 

The ephemeron fly . . . 335 

Nothing perislres in nature . . 337 

Difference of zones . . . 339 

Shigularities ofthe sea . ■ . 340' 



\ 



623 



INDEX 



Page. 
The different shades observable in fiow- 
ers. . . . . .343 

. 344 



The great heats of summer 
Different Instincts and remarkable pro- 
perties in animals . . . 345 
The human face . . . .347 
On the gravity of bodies . . . 349 
Various effects in nature proceed from 

the same cause . . . 351 

Some diseases of plants . . . 352 

Means of subsistence which nature pro- 
vides for animals . . . 354 
A hymn of praise .... 355 
Varieties in the stature of man . . 356 
A meditation on the works of nature . ib. 
An exhortation to praise God . . 358 
Vegetation of the stalk of wheat . . ib. 
The dog-days . . . .360 
Sleep ..... 362 
The divisibility of matter . .363 
The external structure of insects . 365 
Comparison between the senses of men 

and those of anirnale . . . 366 

Tlie thunder . . . .368 

The hamster . . . .369 

Superstitious opinions relative to the 

design of the animal kingdom . 371 

Contemplation on a meadow . . 373 

Mischief occasioned by animals . . 375 

Variety of colours .... 376 
The buildings of the beaver . .378 

The manner in which the nutrition of 

the human body is effected . . 380 

Nature considered in different points of 

view . . . - .381 

Damages which may be occasioned by 

rain ..... 382 
The care of animals for their young . 384 
Various kinds of extraordinary rain . 386 
Sensibility of plants . . .387 

The fear of storms . . . 389 

Summer exhibits emblems of death. . 390 
Causes of the heat of the earth . .392 

Variety of plants .... 393 
General reflections on the animal king- 
dom . . . . .395 
The division of the earth . . . 397 
The nature and properties of light . 398 
The formation of birds . . . 400 
Reflections on the sky . . ■ 402 
Moral reflections on a corn field . . 403 
Shellfish . . . . .405 
On the government of God . . 406 
A harvest hymn .... 408 
Thanksgiving for God's providential 

care of his creatures . . . ib. 

A hymn to the praise of the Most High . 409 
The omnipresence of God . . 410 

The beauty and variety of butterflies . ib. 
The growth of trees . . . 412 

The ant-lion . . . .413 

Conformity between plants and ani- 
mals ..... 415 
The nature and properties of sound . 417 
Mysteries of nature . . . 418 

The eyes of animals . . . 420 

Fish 422 

The propagation of animals . .424 

The influence of the moon on the hu- 
man body . . - . 425 
The ignis fatuus . . . .427 
The mineral kingdom . . . 428 
Some of the principal exoUc plants . 430 



^ Page. 

Reflections on one's self . ; , 433 

The strength of tiie human body com- 
pared to tliat of animals . . 435 
The instinct of the butteifly- relative to 

the propagation of its species . . 437 

The vine ..... 438 
A hymn to celebrate the works of crea- 
tion and providence . . . 440 
The wonders which God performs daily 441 
Digestion ..... 442 
The prevalence of good over evil in this 

world ..... 444 
Enmity among animals . . . 445 

The moral uses of the night . . 447 

Tlie caus-es of men's indifference about 

the works of n;(ture . . . 449 

On several nocturnal meteors . . 451 

The formation of the child in its mother's 



453 
455 
457 
459 
461 
ib. 
462 
463 
465 
466 
468 



womb .... 
Of amphibious animals . 
The perfection of the works of God 
Fruit .... 

The cxlvii. Psalm imitated 
The universe invited to praise God 
A hymn to the praise of God 
The effects of fire , 
The instinct and industry of birds 
Animal reproductions. 
The organs of taste 
The government of God with respect to 

natural events .... 470 
The inexhaustible riches of nature . 471 
Petrifactions . . . .473 

All the operations of nature are gradual 475 
The fall of the leaf . . .476 

Different kinds of earth . . . 478 

Wine . . . . .480 

The migration of birds . . .481 

Variety of trees . . . . 483 

Temperature of the weather in different 

regions of the earth . . . 485 

The atmosphere of the earth . .487 

Amiual proportion between births and 

deaths . . . . .489 

Devastations in the kingdom of nature 490 
The circulation of the blood . . 492 

Proportions of the different parts of the 

human body .... 495 
Of navigation ... 
Beasts of draught and bvirden 
Winter seed-time 
God's particular providence 
The measure and division of time 
The end of summer 
The magnificexice of God in the works of 

creation .... 507 

The law of inertia . . .509 

The wants of men . . . 510 

On presentiments . . . 512 

A hymn on the power and providence 

of God 
A hymn of praise 
Marine animals 
The wisdom of God in connecting all 

parts of natixre 
Bed ... 

Reflections on the past summer 
Inconveniences of the night 
Reflections upon woods . 
The sense of feeling in animals 
A recollection of the benefits which we 
I have enjoyed in spring and summer 528 
I Foreign animeds . .529 



. 498 
. 500 
. 501 
. 503 
. 505 



514 
515 
516 

517 
519 
521 
522 
524 
526 



624 



INDEX. 



Variety of winds . 

The chase . . , . 

Dreams . . . . . 

The universe is connected together, and 
every part concurs to the preservation 
and perfection of the whole. . 

Common salt- . . 

The origin of fotintains . 

Human hair . . . . 

Tlie system of the world 

Lobsters . . . . . 

The convenient and advantageous situ- 
ation of all the parts of the human 
body . . . . . 

Order and regularity of nature . 

Of winter in the northern countries 

Transformations in nature 

The greatness of God discernible in little 
things . . . . . 

Gradual increase of the cold 

Reflections on snow 

Sleep of animals during winter 

Use of storms . . , . 

Fortuitous events .... 

The majesty of God 

Motives for contentment . 

Gratitude at the remembrance of past 
mercies . . . . . 

A hymn of praise . . . . 

The era of the creation of the world, and 
the formation of man . 

The utility of different feinds of timber . 

Remarkable properties of certain ani- 
mals . . . , . 



Page. 
. 531 
. 533 
. 534 



546 
548 
550 
552 

554 
556 
557 
559 
561 
562 
564 
566 

ib. 
568 



571 
572 



Page. 
The formation of snow . . ,574 

Winter plants .... 576 
An exhortation to remember the poor 

during the severity of the winter 577 

Nature is the school for the heart 578 

The divine goodness manifested to us 

even in things which appear hurtful 581 
Casual revolutions in our globe . 583 

Gratitude for our clothing . . 584 

The clothing of animals . . , 586 

Thoughts on the ravages of winter 588 

Tire orang-outang . . . 590 

Sagacity of animals in procuring their 

winter's subsistence . . . 592 

The advantages of winter . . 594 

The elements . . . .596 

The sun's influence on the earth . 598 

Tempestuous winter rains . . 599 

Judicial astrology . . . 601 

The polar star . . . .603 

Effects of air when confined in bodies 604 
Music . . . . .606 

Men compared with other animals 607 

A calculation concerning the resurrec- 
tion . . . . .608 
Reflections on the nativity of Christ 609 
The place of Christ's nativity . .611 
The care which God takes of men from 

their birth .... 613 

The term of human life . . .615 

The instability of earthly things . 616 

How time is generally employed . 618 

A hymn of thanksgiving . .619 



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